A Ventura man faced with multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after swastikas were found spray-painted throughout the city earlier this year changed his mind and entered a new plea, officials announced on Friday.
John Williams, 32, changed his plea Thursday, now “admitting guilt to three felony counts of vandalism for damage exceeding $400, three felony hate crime counts of placing a terrorizing symbol on private property, two misdemeanor counts of vandalism, and one misdemeanor count of possession of a stun gun by a convicted felon,” the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office said.
Williams also admitted to the special allegations for committing the crimes while on parole and having a prior strike conviction, according to the DA’s Office.
According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, court records show Williams was convicted of forcible rape in 2019 after pleading guilty to the 2015 crime.
Williams’ most recent arrest came on March 30, when Ventura police officers responding to a graffiti report at a local business found a swastika and the words “VC Pride” tagged on a wall.
Further investigation revealed four additional swastikas found on both public and private properties, and officers soon observed surveillance footage of Williams at two of the locations. The sound of spray paint can be heard on the video before Williams is seen again fleeing the scene.
“A further review of his social media activity revealed that he had been documenting graffiti at one location and posted images online while implying that someone else was responsible,” the DA’s office said.
Williams was arrested and charged with six felony and three misdemeanor counts, to which he originally pleaded not guilty on April 2.
“Our community will not tolerate acts that glorify Nazism or spread fear, and we will hold offenders accountable,” said Ventura County DA Erik Nasarenko.
Williams remains in custody with bail set at $250,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17.
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