A South Carolina man has been charged with a hate crime for allegedly defacing multiple buildings at a Jewish complex in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced. Dalton Ray Mullis, 24, of Indian Land, was arrested Thursday and appeared in court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler.
Mullis is accused of traveling to the Foundation of Shalom Park complex, which includes the Jewish Community Center (JCC), Charlotte Jewish Day School, and the Holocaust Memorial, on the evening of January 19, 2026. He allegedly defaced several buildings by affixing threatening, antisemitic flyers depicting a noose, a swastika, and a Totenkopf, a symbol associated with the German Nazi party. Surveillance cameras reportedly captured Mullis using an adhesive spray to place a flyer on a school entrance.
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson condemned the alleged acts, saying, "Posting nazi and lynching symbols on the Jewish Community Center is pure hate and it’s disgusting. This is America, which was founded on the free exercise of religion and people ought to be free to worship without being threatened." FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis added that such acts "undermine public safety and violate federal law."
Charging documents also allege that Mullis posted antisemitic messages and imagery on multiple social media sites between January and April 2026. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Chief Estella D. Patterson emphasized the commitment to holding those who commit hate crimes accountable, stating, "Acts that target or threaten our houses of worship and cultural institutions have no place in Charlotte."
Mullis remains in federal custody and faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted. The investigation involved the FBI Charlotte’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and other agencies, as part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative. Mullis is presumed innocent until proven guilty.