Richard Tobin
Richard Tobin is a Brooklawn, New Jersey member of The Base who organized 'Operation Kristallnacht,' directing coordinated synagogue vandalism across two U.S. cities in 2019 and sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison.
Richard Tobin (born approximately 2001, Brooklawn, New Jersey) was a member of The Base, the paramilitary white supremacist network founded by Rinaldo Nazzaro in 2018, who in September 2019 organized "Operation Kristallnacht" - a coordinated synagogue vandalism campaign targeting two U.S. cities. He directed two other Base members via encrypted online communications to spray-paint hate symbols on synagogues in Racine, Wisconsin and Hancock, Michigan on September 21, 2019. He was charged with conspiracy against rights (18 U.S.C. § 241) in the District of New Jersey, pleaded guilty in February 2021, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to one year and one day in federal prison plus three years of supervised release in November 2021.1
Operation Kristallnacht
Tobin organized the operation through encrypted online chat communications with at least two other Base members. The name invoked the November 1938 Nazi-organized pogrom against Jewish businesses and synagogues across Germany. On September 21, 2019, his co-conspirators executed the operation, defacing synagogues in Racine, Wisconsin and Hancock, Michigan with hate symbols. The simultaneous nature of the attacks in two geographically distant cities reflected The Base's broader ambition to operate as a coordinated national network rather than a local formation.
Tobin cooperated with federal prosecutors following his arrest, reportedly providing information identifying his co-conspirators. His charge was filed as an information (not a grand jury indictment), a procedure typically indicating a plea arrangement reached before indictment.
Arrest and Sentencing
The FBI investigated and charged Tobin in the District of New Jersey. He pleaded guilty in February 2021, acknowledging he had organized the operation via encrypted communications. Judge Robert B. Kugler sentenced him to one year and one day in federal prison plus three years of supervised release in November 2021. The sentence reflected both his cooperation and the relatively contained nature of the specific offense - property vandalism rather than violence against persons.1
Sources
- U.S. Department of Justice, USAO-NJ. "Camden County Man Sentenced to One Year and One Day in Prison for Conspiring with White Supremacists." https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/camden-county-man-sentenced-one-year-and-one-day-prison-conspiring-white-supremacists; U.S. Department of Justice, USAO-NJ. "Camden County Man Admits Conspiring with White Supremacists to Vandalize Synagogues Across America." https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/camden-county-man-admits-conspiring-white-supremacists-vandalize-synagogues-across ↩
Local network
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