A New York court has sentenced Matthew Mahrer, an autistic Jewish man, to two and a half years in prison for assisting a neo-Nazi in obtaining an illegal firearm in 2022.

Mahrer and his accomplice, Christopher Brown, were arrested in Manhattan, as YWN reported, after Brown threatened to attack a synagogue. Police later recovered the firearm in Mahrer’s apartment. The arrests sparked widespread concern over the potential for violence and raised questions about Mahrer’s involvement in the crime.

During Wednesday’s sentencing, the courtroom was filled with Mahrer’s family and supporters, alongside members of the Jewish community advocating for a harsh penalty. Despite a plea from Mahrer’s attorney for an alternative to incarceration, the judge ruled that sentencing guidelines left no room for such a measure.

“I could not be more grateful that no one was hurt, and I’m sorry to everyone, especially my family,” Mahrer said in a tearful address to the court. “I’m never going to stop trying to be a better person.”

The announcement of Mahrer’s prison sentence was met with visible emotion, as some of his family members and supporters wept.

In addition to serving two and a half years in prison, Mahrer will remain under legal supervision for two years following his release.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)