South Carolina man pleads guilty to federal hate crime for posting swastika, noose and SS 'death's head' flyers at Charlotte Jewish school and Holocaust memorial

Dalton Ray Mullis, 24, of Indian Land, S.C., pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime for posting antisemitic flyers across a Jewish complex in Charlotte, N.C., the Justice Department said, JNS reports.

Mullis admitted that on Jan. 19 he attached the flyers to the Charlotte Jewish Day School, a Holocaust memorial and an employee building at the Foundation of Shalom Park, which houses Jewish religious, cultural and educational organizations. The flyers showed a hangman's noose, a swastika and a Totenkopf, the "death's head" symbol of the Nazi SS.

Security footage showed him spraying what appeared to be adhesive on a school entrance before sticking a flyer to the door, the department said. According to court documents, he also shared antisemitic messages and images on social media between January and April. He was arrested and charged on June 11, remains in federal custody, and has no sentencing date yet.

"Jewish Americans have the fundamental right to practice their religion and operate faith-based community centers without intimidation," said Jesus Osete, acting assistant attorney general for civil rights. "Posting Nazi and lynching symbols on the Jewish Community Center creates fear and hate and has no place in our community," said Russ Ferguson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. "Those that violate federal laws protecting that right will face consequences."