Houghton man found guilty of defacing synagogue

A member of a white supremacist group has been convicted of defacing a Hancock synagogue with neo-nazi symbols. Nathan Weeden, 23 of Houghton was found guilty today by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy against rights and one count of damage to religious property. 

Weeden is one of three men who in 2019 defaced Temple Jacob with swastikas and symbols associated with a white supremacist group known as “The Base.” The other conspirators were previously convicted on federal crimes related to the matter. 

“Today’s swift conviction sends a strong message that hate will not be tolerated in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten, who was in Marquette for Weeden’s trial. “No one should be the target of hate because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or any other status. When hateful words become hateful acts, my office will use every tool we have to protect the public and secure justice.”