Spoiled millionaire’s son smirks in court as he’s hauled before judge for burning Israeli flag at Columbia protest
The smiling son of a millionaire advertising magnate appeared in court on charges of arson and criminal damage after allegedly setting fire to an Israeli flag during a pro-Palestinian protest.
James Carlson, a father of two, was arrested on April 30 at Columbia University after police broke up a two-week encampment on campus.
The 40-year-old is accused of burning someone else’s Israeli flag during a campus protest on April 20.
Carlson is not a student, staff or faculty member at Columbia. He faces separate charges of third-degree trespassing in connection with that specific incident.
James Carlson, a father of two, was arrested at Columbia University on April 30 after police broke up a two-week campus encampment
The 40-year-old is accused of burning another person’s Israeli flag during a campus protest on April 20
Carlson was arraigned in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday after District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. announced he would be charged.
Police use a vehicle dubbed “the Bear” to enter Hamilton Hall from a public street occupied by protesters, while other officers enter the Columbia University campus
He has also been charged with destroying police property in a cell after he was arrested on April 30 following another protest.
According to police, he kicked a glass panel in the cell and broke it.
Carlson was arraigned in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday after District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. announced he would be charged.
He was cheerful throughout the courtroom and had brought a poster reading “American Jews Now Say Ceasefire in Gaza” to hang up before his case was heard.
District Attorney Bragg said, “This defendant’s alleged activities went beyond a lawful and peaceful protest.
‘Committing arson during a crowded protest puts the safety of others at risk and this type of behavior will not be tolerated.’
Prosecutors say an unnamed protester grabbed an Israeli flag from a Jewish man during a protest at Columbia University on April 20.
Carlson was all smiles in court Monday as he was indicted by a grand jury
The grinning son of a millionaire advertising magnate appeared in court on charges of arson and criminal damage after allegedly setting fire to an Israeli flag during a pro-Palestinian protest
He brought a poster that read “American Jews Now Say Ceasefire in Gaza” to hang before his case was heard
NYPD riot police have released dramatic video showing them storming occupied Hamilton Hall at Columbia University
Images and videos showed extensive damage to Hamilton Hall after protesters were cleared
Before the alleged victim could retrieve the flag, Carlson grabbed it from the other protester and “began to light it on fire with a lighter.”
“He was unable to fully ignite the flag when the witness pulled it away,” the prosecutor said in a press release.
Carlson, who also goes by Cody Carlson and Cody Tarlow, was described by officials at the time of his arrest as a “veteran in the anarchist world.”
He is the son of Richard Tarlow and Sandy Carlson Tarlow, a millionaire advertising duo who co-founded Carlson & Partners and were known for their cosmetics and fashion clients, including Revlon, Victoria’s Secret, Ralph Lauren and Neutrogena.
Richard passed away in May 2022 at the age of 81, while Sandy passed away in 2003 at the age of 53.
The 40-year-old is reportedly married to model Kim Heyrman and lives in a $3.4 million mansion in Brooklyn, New York
James is the son of Richard Tarlow (pictured here with Kristin Kehrberg in 2018) and Sandy Carlson Tarlow (who died in 2003), a millionaire advertising executive duo who co-founded Carlson & Partners and were known for their cosmetics and fashion clients, including Revlon, Victoria’s Secret, Ralph Lauren and Neutrogena
Carlson was one of about 40 protesters arrested on the first floor of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University after police stormed the building to break up the pro-Palestine encampment that had gripped the campus for nearly two weeks. Similar protests were taking place simultaneously on nearby campuses (including NYU, pictured)
Carlson graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brooklyn Law School and later became an animal rights attorney. In 2013, he clerked for the U.S. District Court.
According to the publication, he also worked for a time as an undercover investigator on intensive livestock farms and in slaughterhouses, where he recorded animal abuse.
The 40-year-old is reportedly married to model Kim Heyrman and lives in a $3.4 million brownstone in Brooklyn, New York. The couple have two children.
Carlson was one of about 40 protesters arrested on the first floor of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University after police stormed the campus to break up the pro-Palestinian encampment that had gripped the campus for nearly two weeks.
Photos and videos of the aftermath show the hall destroyed and littered with activists’ belongings.
Columbia President Minouche Shafik called on the NYPD to help restore “order and safety” on campus amid escalating protests, which included a large-scale encampment on the school’s lawns.
Bragg’s office said: “We continue to work closely with the NYPD and local colleges and universities to ensure the safety of students, staff, and community members during any protests or demonstrations.”