Man Accused of Vandalizing Portsmouth’s Temple Israel May Be Charged with Hate Crime

A man accused of vandalizing a Portsmouth temple four months ago may have committed a hate crime.

This according to court officials in Portsmouth, who say Kevin O’Leary is accused of damaging two lamps outside the city’s Temple Israel.

Prosecutors say one of those charges was elevated to hate-crime status, as the lamps displayed the Star of David, which is Judaism’s most sacred symbol.

If convicted of the hate crime, prosecutors say O’Leary could face as much as 30 years in jail.