Accused Chicago Loop Synagogue vandal held on $150,000 bail

An accountant accused of vandalizing the Chicago Loop Synagogue was turned in by a tipster who described him as a local white supremacist who had Nazi paraphernalia outside his Pilsen residence, Cook County prosecutors said Thursday.

Stuart Wright, who prosecutors said had a swastika tattoo on his back, also had a pamphlet inside his house titled “How to Own a N—–,” authorities said.

Wright was charged with a hate crime and criminal damage to property for allegedly placing two swastika stickers on the front doors and smashing a front glass window at the synagogue, 16 S. Clark St., early Saturday.

The damage to the windows was $4,000, Assistant State’s Attorney Lorraine Scaduto said.

“We can’t tolerate this behavior,” Judge Donald Panarese Jr. said before ordering Wright held on $150,000 bail.

Fingerprints taken from the swastika stickers matched those recently taken from Wright for a pending aggravated assault and disorderly conduct case in Elmhurst, Scaduto said.

There were also three small cuts on Wright’s hand, the prosecutor said.

Blood was found on the steering wheel and console of the dark gray SUV 31-year-old Wright drove to the synagogue around 12:30 a.m. Saturday — the Sabbath day for those of the Jewish faith, Scaduto said.

The Toyota 4Runner used in the attack and the Toyota Camry Wright was seen in before his arrest on Tuesday are registered under Wright’s dad, who lives in Oak Brook, Scaduto said.

The tipster mentioned that Wright was known to drive the Toyota 4Runner. The tipster also said Wright was a “skinhead” and provided authorities with the license plate of the SUV, according to Wright’s police report.

Wright lives in the 2000 block of South Loomis but is also associated with addresses listed in Oak Brook and Elmhurst, Scaduto said.

Wright, who was captured on surveillance footage that was disseminated to the media, was seen walking up to the synagogue with his hands in his pocket before he went up to glass door and placed two swastika stickers on them, Scaduto said.

He then went on to smash the glass at the synagogue with a U-shaped bicycle lock, Scaduto said.

Construction workers heard the smashing glass, saw Wright driving off and immediately flagged down a squad car, the police report said.

After receiving the tip, police set up surveillance outside Wright’s home, where they later discovered the racist literature, Scaduto said.

Wright is a certified public accountant and is a “volunteer,” said his attorney, Michael Byrne.

The defense attorney, in arguing that Wright be released on a personal recognizance bond, told Panarese that his pending case in DuPage County involves an air rifle — “which is not a deadly weapon.”

Wright has degrees from DePaul University and University of Iowa, according to his LinkedIn page.