Texas man sentenced for hate crime, arson after setting fire to synagogue

A Texas man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for a hate crime and arson after he set a local synagogue on fire, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday.

Franklin Sechriest, 19, of San Marcos, admitted he targeted the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Austin, Texas, "due to his hatred of" Jewish people, according to a news release. Authorities recovered journals in which Sechriest jotted down his antisemitic statements and views, noting that the suspect possessed several decals and stickers expressing antisemitic messages.

According to court documents, Sechriest drove to the synagogue’s parking lot outside its sanctuary on Oct. 28, 2021, three days before the arson attack, to “scout out” his target. 

On the night of the attack, Sechriest returned to the synagogue and was seen on surveillance video carrying a five-gallon container and toilet paper toward the religious institution’s sanctuary.

Multiple surveillance videos then captured the glow of a fire from the direction of the sanctuary. A security camera captured Sechriest jogging away from the fire and toward a car with the drive's side door open, the release said.

Authorities noted that the Austin Fire Department put out the fire, after a concerned bystander called it in.

In his journal entries, Sechriest admitted to setting the fire, noting that he was actively monitoring news reports on the investigation to his crime, according to the news release. “I set a synagogue on fire,” Sechriest wrote in his journal entry dated Oct. 31, 2021, the actual date of the arson.

“Hate crimes have the power to devastate and terrorize entire communities. To target a place of worship, a space meant to be a sanctuary in every sense of the word, is one of the most heinous acts that can be committed,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson of the FBI San Antonio Field Office said in the news release.

“We remain dedicated to investigating hate crimes and will continue to work relentlessly to hold responsible those who would commit violent acts based on hate.”

Sechriest pleaded guilty to a hate crime and arson charges earlier this year. As part of his sentence, he has been ordered to pay restitution up to $470,000 and will be placed on supervised release for three years.