Man fails to appear in ethnic intimidation case

A hearing for a man accused of leaving anti-Semitic graffiti went forward on Wednesday despite the fact that he did not show up.

State police have charged Corbin Kauffman with ethnic intimidation for graffiti which was left on a trash can at the Weissport Canal Park in March.

Kauffman is also facing charges filed by the FBI in federal court for anti-Semitic social media posts.

On Wednesday, Magisterial District Judge Eric Schrantz heard testimony from two state troopers who investigated the case.

Trooper Tom Bachman said Kauffman admitted during a police interview that he left anti-Semitic graffiti on a trash can in the Weissport Canal Park. Bachman said the interview took place in March, after FBI agents executed a warrant at a home in Lehighton where Kauffman was living.

The troopers asked him about it because pictures of the trash can appeared on his social media.

Kauffman told him that he bought decals online depicting the Jewish caricature “The Happy Merchant” and placed one on the trash can.

Bachman said that Kauffman repeatedly said during their interview that he does not like Jewish and black people.

“He was very clear that he didn’t like Jewish and black people, and he was putting his feelings out there,” he said.

Trooper Nicolas De La Iglesia testified that he was investigating the graffiti prior to the FBI’s involvement. He said a member of a Jewish Congregation in Lehighton had reported the graffiti to local police, who referred it to him.

The person said they were concerned due to the fact that it was placed just a few months after a mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Schrantz rejected a motion from Kauffman’s public defender to dismiss the ethnic intimidation charge.

Public defender Andrew Theyken Bench said that the charge of ethnic intimidation requires the underlying criminal act to be directed at an individual, group of individuals, or a religious organization. He said that the charge against his client could raise constitutional issues because his free speech is protected.

Assistant District Attorney Brian Gazo responded that Kauffman’s actions amounted to ethnic intimidation because they were aimed at Judaism as a religion. Gazo said the state would seek a bench warrant for Kauffman for failing to appear at his preliminary hearing.

The ethnic intimidation charge will proceed to common pleas court.