Ivan Nieves has been charged with vandalism and disorderly conduct. Nieves was arrested this morning.
HATE HAS NO PLACE IN NYC – An arrest has been made for the hate crime vandalism to the African Burial Ground Nat’l Monument in lower Manhattan. In collaboration w/ the Hate Crimes Task Force, Nat’l Park Police & Federal Protective Service, @DHSgov has arrested Ivan Nieves, 57. pic.twitter.com/TU8jfdkxrT
— Chief Dermot F. Shea (@NYPDDetectives) November 20, 2018
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “The protections of the First Amendment allow all Americans to express their opinions without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. However, those protections do not apply when you deface federal property in the name of hate. Today’s arrest of Ivan Nieves for allegedly defacing the African Burial Ground National Monument aptly demonstrates the sanctity of those protections; and that those who do not follow the law while expressing their freedom of speech will be charged with federal crimes.”
As alleged in the Information, on or about November 1, 2018, Nieves defaced a sign on the grounds of the African Burial Ground National Monument by writing a threatening racial slur on it—the ‘n-word.’
* * *
Nieves, 57, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of vandalism and one count of disorderly conduct. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison.
