An Indiana man has been ordered to pay restitution and enter a diversion program for throwing nails and other sharp objects into the driveways of homes with pro-Trump or anti-Biden political signs.
The Indianapolis man, who has not been publicly named, was committing the crimes in Morristown, where he worked.
Local station Fox 59 reports, “residents first started reporting finding the metal fasteners in their driveway at the beginning of August with police stating homes all throughout Morristown filed similar complaints. The nails and screws caused tire damage to vehicles and yard equipment, police said, along with forcing homeowners to spend several hours a day cleaning and checking their driveways.”
“The suspect vehicle was captured on surveillance video in mid-October and was reportedly seen actively dropping the metal fasteners from his vehicle while he passed the driveways with his window down,” the report continued.
The Morristown Police alerted the Secret Service due to the political nature of the crimes.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department worked with the police department to use “covert video surveillance equipment” to capture the man’s license plate number.
The suspect turned himself in to law enforcement in late November and was booked in the Shelby County Jail. He was released after posting bond.
Police determined that the man did not know any of his victims and only targeted them based on the political signs and flags displayed in their yards.
Fox 59 reports that the man was initially charged with several Class B misdemeanors for criminal mischief but entered a diversion program on Thursday through Shelby County Superior Court. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
It is unclear if any vehicles were damaged in the sabotage attempt.
Timcast has reached out to the Morristown Police Department and will update this story if additional information is provided.
