Everardo Gregorio, Hate Crime, Arizona 2023

A brutal act of hate has shaken the community in Casa Grande, Arizona. Everardo Gregorio, 31, has been charged with a hate crime for the destruction of the Khal Chasidim synagogue.

According to the indictment, on March 3, Gregorio set fire to the synagogue, causing significant damage to the building that housed the Jewish community's place of worship, as well as a kosher grocery store and restaurant. This heinous act has left the community reeling.

A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a one-count indictment against Gregorio for the Obstruction of the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs by Fire. The indictment alleges that Gregorio's actions were motivated by bias against the Jewish community.

Gregorio has also been charged with arson by the Pinal County Attorney's Office and is currently pending trial in that case. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

The investigation into the fire is being handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Casa Grande Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Goldberg is leading the prosecution, in conjunction with the Civil Rights Division.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and Gregorio is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Everardo Gregorio, 31, of Casa Grande, Arizona, is the defendant in this case. He is charged with Obstruction of the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs by Fire, a federal hate crime. The crime occurred on March 3 in Casa Grande, Arizona. The penalty for this crime carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Currently, Gregorio is pending trial in the Pinal County Attorney's Office for arson.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/arizona-man-charged-hate-crime-synagogue-fire