AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to committing a federal hate crime after vandalizing an Islamic student center at Rutgers University earlier this year, officials announced on Thursday.
Jacob Beacher, 24, of North Plainfield, N.J., admitted to breaking into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University's main campus in New Brunswick on April 10, during the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Prosecutors stated that Beacher caused significant damage to religious artifacts and stole a Palestinian flag.
Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, emphasized the gravity of Beacher's actions. “Mr. Beacher was being held accountable for Islamophobic-fueled acts of hate,” Clarke said, according to The New York Times. She added that he had interfered with the religious freedom of Rutgers students and staff during Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.
“Islamophobic hate crimes have no place in our society today,” Clarke said. “We want our actions and the speed with which we responded to illustrate our commitment and resolve to protect houses of worship in New Jersey.”
Beacher, who faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, is scheduled for sentencing in February. A Rutgers University spokeswoman confirmed that Beacher is not affiliated with the university.
The guilty plea was entered before District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court on Wednesday, shortly after the anniversary of the Israeli war on Gaza which has fueled growing Islamophobia in the United States.
From January to June 2024, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) documented 4,951 bias complaints nationwide, a 69 percent increase over the same period in 2023.
According to an FBI affidavit, Beacher was seen on security footage breaking into the center and damaging various objects, including Turbah prayer stones and data-x-items with Quranic inscriptions. He left after 20 minutes, taking the flag and a charity box, which was later found in a nearby park. Initially, prosecutors estimated the damage at $40,000, but later revised it to $19,000.
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