By Branden LaCroix
Interim News Editor
Former FSU President F. Javier Cevallos announced three suspects were arrested and arraigned in Framingham District Court in connection to the white supremacist decals found on campus Dec. 9.
In the email sent June 13, Cevallos said the three suspects, Alex Beilman of Meriden, Connecticut, Brian Harwood of Spencer, Massachusetts, and Matthew Smaller of Maynard, Massachusetts, have been charged with vandalism and conspiracy to commit a crime.
According to the email, the three men have no connection to FSU.
Last year, there were several instances of white supremacist decals from the group Patriot Front found on campus. The first instance was March 8.
[Editor’s Note: See “Several white-supremacist related decals found on campus” in The Gatepost’s March 12, 2021 issue.]
On Nov. 3, 2021, several more stickers were discovered on campus, and again on Dec. 9.
[Editor’s Note: See “Two white supremacy-related decals found on campus” in The Gatepost’s Nov. 5, 2021 issue.]
According to Cevallos’ email, the three suspects are only being charged in connection with the Dec. 9 incident.
The men are allegedly members of Patriot Front.
According to the Anti-Defamation League’s website, “Patriot Front is a white supremacist group whose members maintain that their ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it to them, and no one else.”
University Police Chief John Santoro said the case against the three is in the “discovery stage” of the court process, “where the defense attorneys request the discovery of any information or evidence that will be used against the defendants.
“Once all that information is submitted, reviewed, and vetted by both the prosecutor and the defense attorney and they have everything that they need to have, then they’ll move on to setting actual court dates” unless other information is submitted by either the defense or prosecution, Santoro said.
Santoro added the three defendants are only being charged with the most recent incident and the other incidents are still under investigation “on a local, state, and federal level.”
According to court documents obtained by The Gatepost, Smaller’s and Beilman’s attorneys filed a motion to dismiss and they will be in court Nov. 16. Discovery and jury selection for Harwood’s case will take place on Dec. 16.
He added the FSU Tip line is also available for anyone with information on the March 8, 2021 and Nov. 3, 2021 incidents or any other case. FSU Tip is anonymous and confidential, according to the Framingham State website.
Santoro said the $5,000 reward for information regarding the other incidents is still being offered.
To submit a tip, send a text to 67283 containing the word “FSUTIP,” followed by a space, and then your message, according to the Framingham State website.