Courtesy of NYPD
Shemesh was arrested in June, not long after investigators released this wanted flyer.
By Forum Staff
A 53-year-old Astoria man has pleaded guilty to a third-degree criminal mischief, an E felony, for a six-month-long graffiti spree in which the defendant spray painted or used markers to tag various buildings and garage doors with homophobic slurs and anti-Obama messages.
“The defendant has now admitted his guilt,” said DA Brown. “For months, he plastered messages of hate and intolerance on various structures throughout Astoria, Queens. The defendant vandalized other people’s property that ultimately required costly fixes. The defendant, as a result of his actions, will go to jail.”
Yaacov Shemesh, of Newtown Avenue in Astoria, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal mischief, an E felony, before Acting Supreme Court Justice Gia Morris, who indicated she will sentenced Shemesh to 90 days in jail, five years probation and sensitivity training on November 1, 2017.
According to the charges, between December 2016 and May 2017, the defendant scrawled homophobic slurs combined with the name of former President Barack Obama and occasionally used the slurs with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s name and former Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The defendant vandalized both residential and commercial buildings and garages within walking distance of his home.
Criminal charges also include video surveillance of some of the incidents showed a six-foot tall man wearing dark boots, a dark jacket and a Yankees caps. After the defendant’s arrest he identified himself in the video footage and admitted to making political graffiti.
