An elderly vandal has been arrested and charged with hate crimes for allegedly spraying anti-Semitic graffiti in a chic New York seaside town.
Michael Nicholoulias, 74, faces two counts of aggravated harassment and one count of fourth-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime, both felonies, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said at a news conference.
Before his arrest Monday night, investigators followed Nicholoulias as he spray-painted a swastika on a Montauk beach. News 12 reported.
“He was followed by members of our law enforcement team … who were able to observe him as he was bent over spray painting a black Swastika near a park bench,” Tierney said.
During his hate campaign, Nicholoulias is said to have targeted fourteen different locations with anti-Semitic messages, including near Ditch Plains Beach in late October and at Bounce Beach Montauk last month.
Michael Nicholoulias, 74, has been arrested and charged with hate crimes for spray-painting anti-Semitic graffiti, including swastikas, in Montauk, New York
Nicholoulias is accused of painting anti-Semitic messages in late October near Ditch Plains Beach and last month at Bounce Beach Montauk
Before his arrest on Monday evening, investigators tracked Nicholoulias as he spray-painted another swastika on a beach in the upmarket coastal town
Hateful symbols, including swastikas, were also discovered outside Naturally Good Food and Sausages Pizza, two stores in downtown Montauk.
Nicholoulias pleaded not guilty and was released Tuesday with GPS monitoring and two orders of protection.
The anti-Semitic graffiti was first discovered in the East End hamlet on October 29. About a week later, more hateful symbols appeared on fences and picnic tables at two businesses on Montauk Highway.
Photos shared by Naturally Good Food on social media revealed multiple swastikas in black paint scrawled on tables, fencing and an exit door.
Among the disturbing messages was a German phrase that translated as “Jews are dying,” accompanied by a two-foot-tall swastika outside the business.
The spray-painted slogan, translating to “Free Palestine,” appeared on food trucks at Ditch Plains Beach, along with another swastika.
Rabbi Josh Franklin of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons wrote on social media at the time: “I spent the morning in Montauk cleaning up the graffiti left on a Jewish-owned store in Montauk. I feel like I'm living Kristallnacht in 2023.'
Photos shared by Naturally Good Food on social media revealed multiple swastikas in black paint scrawled on tables, railings and an exit door
Among the disturbing messages was a German phrase that translated as “Jews are dying,” accompanied by a two-foot-tall swastika outside the business.
The graffiti sparked a peaceful rally condemning anti-Semitic sentiments in Montauk local reports.
Authorities said Nicholoulias, the owner of a white PT Cruiser who appeared on surveillance footage near the affected businesses, had not previously been on a hate group watch list.
He allegedly admitted that he had targeted those companies, which he believed were Jewish-owned Newsday.
East Hampton Police Chief Michael Sarlo said he is pleased officers were able to make a quick arrest in this case, with the investigation beginning on Nov. 10.
“As much as the city of East Hampton and Montauk has grown, it's still a very tight-knit community, a very diverse community,” Sarlo told the outlet.
'And when something like this catches on locally on a global scale, it really strikes a chord within the community.'
The spray-painted slogan, translating to “Free Palestine,” appeared on food trucks at Ditch Plains Beach, along with another swastika
According to local reports, the graffiti sparked a peaceful rally condemning anti-Semitic sentiments in Montauk
Cities across the country have seen an increase in anti-Semitic activity since Hamas's October 7 terror attack on Israel.
Since November 2023, New York City has experienced a 33% increase in reported hate crimes compared to the same period in 2022, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
There have been 237 anti-Semitic incidents recorded in New York State League against defamation.
Newsday reported that the number of hate incidents reported to Suffolk Police had already exceeded the total for all of 2022 before October 7.
There have been 95 reported hate incidents through Nov. 30, including 42 cases involving anti-Jewish hatred, police said.
“We are seeing a dramatic increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes,” said Suffolk Police Chief John Rowan. “The numbers we're looking at are definitely much higher than last year.”
Nicholoulias faces a minimum prison sentence of four years. His next court date is December 7.