Franklin Sechriest, the San Marcos man who admittedly tried to burn down an Austin synagogue in 2021, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Wednesday.
Sechriest, 20, pleaded guilty to hate crime charges and attempted arson in April. The Halloween 2021 fire caused more than $100,000 in damages to Congregation Beth Israel.
Federal prosecutors argued the then-18-year-old meticulously planned the antisemitic attack, scoping out the sanctuary and even testing out firebombs ahead of the fire that scorched the synagogue's door and nearly spread to the sanctuary.
The attack occurred in a year that saw a record number of antisemitic incidents in Austin, and Beth Israel is still reeling from the incident as hateful demonstrations and attacks against Jewish Texans continue to rise.
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