Baltimore man sentenced after pleading guilty to setting fire outside Jewish Museum in Maryland
A Baltimore man pleaded guilty and was sentenced Wednesday to setting a fire outside the Jewish Museum of Maryland, according to court records.
Police arrested 66-year-old Assadollah Hashemi after a fire was set outside the front gates of the museum on August 4, 2024. The incident was captured on a security camera.
The museum is located on Lloyd Street, between two synagogues.
Baltimore police said Hashemi had a history of fire-related crimes. He was arrested by SWAT officers at his home in Baltimore.
Howard Libit, the Executive Director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, said a construction crew found the remnants of the fire. The museum had been closed for renovations.
"It's hard to believe someone would randomly light a small fire outside an institution that's clearly labeled as Jewish between two historic synagogues that there's not some antisemitic or anti-Israel intent," Libit told WJZ.
Hashemi was accused of a hate crime and faced arson charges. He was denied bond, and during the bond hearing, he had several violent outbursts.
Ultimately, Hashemi pleaded guilty to setting a fire and damaging a religious building on Wednesday.
According to court records, he was sentenced to 18 years with all but 208 days, or about six months, suspended. Hashemi has also been ordered to serve five years of probation after he is released.
According to our partners at the Baltimore Banner, Hashemi will be required to follow a health treatment plan and report back to the court after he said he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and drug abuse.
"I was out of my mind because I was under the influence of cocaine," he said during a hearing. "I wasn't thinking. I accept everything."
Hashemi is required to stay away from the Jewish Museum of Maryland as a condition of his probation, the Baltimore Banner reported.
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