Two of three charged plead guilty to Hornell white supremacist hate crimes
Two of three Hornell residents charged with distributing more than 100 pamphlets and stickers promoting white supremacy at two houses of worship and other public and private property in Hornell in July have pleaded guilty to felony hate crimes.
As those two await sentencing, city police also said they investigated the possibility of an organized hate group in the area, but now believe the three people who were charged acted alone.
Dylan Henry, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree aggravated harassment. As a repeat felony offender, he faces a minimum of 1.5 to 3 years and a maximum of 2 to 4 years in state prison on each count at his sentencing, set for Oct. 7 in front of Steuben County Court Judge Philip Roche.
A second defendant, Aubrey Dragonetti, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime. Roche will sentence Dragonetti next September after ordering one year of interim supervision.
Steuben County District Brooks Baker said Dragonetti's sentence will be contingent on what happens during the interim supervision, which he likened to "intensive probation supervision."
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The third person charged with distributing the pamphlets, 27-year-old Ryan Mulhollen of Hornell, was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a conference, but Baker said he didn't expect an immediate resolution to the case.
Henry, Dragonetti and Mulhollen were each charged with 115 counts of first-degree aggravated harassment on July 11 after what Hornell police said was a weekend spree distributing hate flyers around the city.
Police said pamphlets were left at the predominately African-American Rehoboth Deliverance Ministries Church and at the Temple Beth-El synagogue. Worshipers arriving for services July 10 at Rehoboth Deliverance Ministries discovered a pamphlet posted to a church door.
The material promoted the "Aryan National Army" and included a skull positioned inside a swastika, police said.
Henry has remained in the Steuben County Jail since his arrest. Dragonetti and Mulhollen were released without bail.
Charges were expanded in August after a Steuben County Grand Jury returned 135-count indictments against all three suspects. The 135 counts included a combination of first-degree aggravated harassment and fourth-degree criminal mischief for affixing stickers at some of the locations targeted, Baker said.
Police chief: Three defendants were only people involved
Hornell Police Chief TJ Murray said police executed a search warrant at the 131 River St. residence where all three lived. Murray said the search turned up electronic equipment and internet use but no wider conspiracy.
"There was nothing there to indicate that there was anybody else in the area involved in this other than the three people who were arrested," Murray said. "They indicated that their goal in putting these pamphlets out was to recruit people − but I don't think it worked."
Baker said the incident is "not reflective" of the Hornell or Steuben County communities.
“This was a very disturbing offense," Baker said. "It is the kind of thing we don’t expect to see in our community. Steuben County as a whole and Hornell in particular is a close-knit community. We have never had any issues like this. I think this is only the second or third hate crime I have ever charged as the Steuben County district attorney.
“I think that was what made it so shocking to all of us. The response from community members was consistent. Everyone who saw these flyers reported it to law enforcement. They were all shocked and upset. I think that reflects what our community is. That type of behavior is not acceptable.”
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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Hornell white supremacy case: Two plead guilty to hate crime charges
