Texas Man Who Burned Down Austin Synagogue Sentenced for Arson and Hate Crime

Texas Man Franklin Sechriest, 20, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of arson and a hate crime earlier this year. He was responsible for burning down the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Austin, Texas two years ago.

With his sentencing, prosecutors got what they wanted as they earlier asked for a 10-year sentence because of the Texas man's deeply held" antisemitic and racist beliefs. Prosecutors claimed in the case that Sechriest committed other racially motivated crimes and demonstrated a "capacity to lie and manipulate."

In his decision to imprison Sechriest for 10 years, Judge David Ezra promised that he would recommend the antisemitic arsonist be housed at a federal medical facility, according to the Austin American Statesman.

The Austin synagogue that Sechreist set fire to, the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue, was considered the oldest Jewish congregation in the city. Its arsonist was arrested after investigators found journals containing antisemitic and racist rhetoric in his Austin home. One entry contained a confession of sorts, saying, "I set a synagogue on fire."

During the sentencing hearing held at the US District Court of Austin, the now-convicted arsonist and antisemite was seen looking over at his parents and mouthing, "I'm sorry."

"This hate-filled act of violence against a house of worship was an attempt to sow fear in the Jewish community and was intended to intimidate its congregants," wrote Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division in a DOJ release.

"Attacks targeting Jewish people and arsons aimed at desecrating synagogues have no place in our society today, and the Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute antisemitic violence."

Texas Man Who Burned Down Austin Synagogue Was Radicalized by Online Hate Groups

Attorney Daniel Wannamaker, who defended Sechriest' in the trial, reminded everyone that his client had been diagnosed with autism and suffered from mental illness. He then admitted that as a teen, Franklin Sechriest was a vulnerable and isolated teenager who was vulnerable to being "groomed" and "radicalized" by online hate groups.

Before he was arrested, the then-18-year-old Texas teen was a member of the Texas State Guard and a student at Texas State University. He became a suspect after security footage showed Sechriest's Jeep at the synagogue just before the arson fire started, according to the Associated Press.

Sechriest was also seen carrying a 5-gallon (19-liter) container and toilet paper as he entered the synagogue and was also seen running away from the blaze he admitted to having started.

Texas Man's Antisemitic Writings Revealed

Franklin Barrett Sechriest's racist beliefs were exposed when police found his journal while searching for his home. Not only did he admit to setting the synagogue on fire in one of the entries, but he also expressed support for Nazism.

The Daily Beast reported that among the entries in the journal, the Texas man said he wanted to consider "actual racism" and "test Molotov cocktails." He also complained about having been made to listen to "a third-hand speech about the holocaust and 'hate,'" and how he "had a long talk with mom about Jews controlling the media."

In his writings, Sechriest admitted that he wanted to "Be so racist it makes mom uncomfortable," and he wanted to "Feel like total shit and argue with mom for four hours about complacency in the age of the new Civil War," and "Burn a book called 'How to be an Antiracist.'"

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Sentencing Hearing for Franklin Sechriest Wednesday - KXAN