Teenager faces charges after Nelsonville incident

By Michael Turton

A Philipstown man accused of three hate crimes after an incident in Nelsonville last year appeared in Nelsonville Justice Court on Wednesday (March 13).

Louis Weber, 18, appeared briefly to face charges of felony burglary, felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor criminal trespass stemming from an Oct. 31 incident in which a swastika and anti-Semitic slur were painted inside a house being built by a Jewish resident of Nelsonville. Weber was arrested on Feb. 20 and released the next day after posting bail.

On Wednesday, Judge Dennis Zenz appointed an attorney to represent Weber, indicating that the defendant was unable to use the services of Putnam County Legal Aid due to a conflict of interest. The attorney’s name and the nature of the conflict were not divulged. Weber is scheduled to appear in court again on April 10.

Two other males, residents of Garrison and Highland Falls, also face charges as a result of the same incident. The district attorney is deciding whether to treat them as youthful offenders.