White supremacist Brian Raymond Hauth was sentenced on December 8, 2003 to 33 months in prison by a U.S. District Judge in Portland, Oregon, on hate crime charges.

Over several months, beginning in November 2000, Hauth persuaded a group of five teenagers to vandalize Jewish and Korean targets. The teenagers, who called themselves the Oregon Boot Boys and referred to Hauth as their "commander," burned crosses at Portland's Congregation Shaarie Torah Cemetery and spray-painted swastikas at the cemetery and on the wall of the Agape Wide World Mission Center, a Korean church.

Hauth, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deny civil rights through intimidation in August. As part of the plea agreement, another charge of using fire to commit a felony was dropped.

According to an FBI affidavit, the teenagers were between 14 and 17 years old when the incidents occurred. They were charged with first degree conspiracy to commit intimidation and first degree intimidation in July 2001. Four boys were charged with criminal mischief as well.

Hauth, who has swastikas and "HH," which stands for Heil Hitler, tattooed on his body, admitted to recruiting the teenagers and driving them to where the crimes took place. Assistant U.S. District Attorney Stephen F. Peifer said that the boys "didn't even know what a swastika was. Or didn't know why they were targeting Jews. They didn't know the significance of the burning cross until they were indoctrinated by Mr. Hauth."

Once Hauth completes his prison term at Sheridan Federal Prison, he will be on probation for three years.

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