Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Painting Swastikas on 12 Headstones at Jewish Cemetery
George Horn admitted targeting a Dundalk Jewish cemetery in 2023. A video on his phone showed him spray-painting two gravestones, prosecutors said.
A Dundalk, Maryland, man has pleaded guilty in federal court to spray-painting swastikas on headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Baltimore County, admitting he chose the cemetery because it is Jewish.
George Horn, 36, pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2026, to damaging religious property, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland said.
Twelve gravestones in July 2023
According to his plea, Horn entered the Ohr Knesseth Israel Anshe Sfard Cemetery in Dundalk in July 2023 and used black spray paint to deface multiple gravestones, mostly with swastikas. Days later, caretakers found 12 gravestones painted with swastikas and other symbols, prosecutors said. The cemetery was established in the late 19th century.
Despite cleanup efforts, the outline of a swastika remained on some stones, and some had to be replaced, the office said. Two were completely replaced and others needed thorough cleaning, costing the Jewish Cemetery Association of Greater Baltimore more than $6,500, The Baltimore Banner reported, citing the plea agreement. Horn agreed to pay for the damage, the Banner reported.
What investigators found
Prosecutors said evidence showed Horn had antisemitic animus toward Jewish people. Investigators found antisemitic messages and other items in his car and storage unit, including a journal with references to Nazism and white supremacy, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On his phone, they found a nine-second video of Horn spray-painting two gravestones and a translated copy of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf,” the office said. The Banner reported that the video shows his hand, which has a distinctive tattoo.
The FBI, the Baltimore County Police Department and the Baltimore Police Department investigated, with help from the Anti-Defamation League.
What happens next
Horn faces up to three years in prison. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox scheduled sentencing for Jan. 14, 2027.
