A man was arrested and charged on Aug. 28 for allegedly vandalizing a federal building in Boston with swastika graffiti.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in an Aug. 31 press release that a police officer saw the man, identified as Gerard Richard Lee, 70, using black spray paint on the John F. Kennedy Federal Building. Special Agent John Blake reportedly said in the affidavit that when he was called to the building to investigate the matter, he saw Lee’s hands caked with what appeared to be black spray paint.
A woman who was becoming a naturalized citizen in the JFK Federal Building told 7News that she witnessed the vandalism and subsequent arrest.
“The Constitution clearly says that we have free speech, but at the same time, there is a certain responsibility that we have to toward our communities and not be putting them down,” the woman said.
Lee is being charged with injuring or depredating government property and faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and fine of $250,000.
Anti-Defamation League New England tweeted, “Defacing #Boston’s public spaces with the symbols of #hate insults and offends everyone. Thank you @DMAnews1 [U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Massachusetts] for swiftly investigating and treating this incident with the seriousness it deserves.”
Defacing #Boston's public spaces with the symbols of #hate insults and offends everyone. Thank you @DMAnews1 for swiftly investigating and treating this incident with the seriousness it deserves. https://t.co/TtkbWo6OkV
— ADL New England (@ADL_NewEngland) August 31, 2020
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