The photo was published in a press release by Anchorage Police in the year 2021 when they sought out a individual of concern in an inquiry into the use of swastika-themed stickers on the buildings of the city. Luke Foster, now 28 has been sentenced by a federal court to spend 18 months in prison over two hate-motivated acts of property damage as well as a drug trafficking crime. (Anchorage police department)

An Alaskan man that put Swastika-themed stickers on several sites throughout downtown in the year 2021 has been sentenced by a the federal courts on Wednesday for an 18-month prison sentence. He was found guilty on two hate-motivated acts of property damage as well as a drug trafficking conviction.

According to a press statement of the U.S. Attorney’s office, in the month of May 2021, Luke Foster, now 28 was arrested for putting swastikas with the words “WE are everywhere” at eight places in Anchorage which included The Alaska Jewish Museum and the Gay nightclub Mad Myrna’s. Foster came back at the Jewish Museum a few months after to put another sign and then cut a swastika in the door.

The swastika is a relic of the past. It’s symbol of religion that is now connected to the German Nazi Party, which executed a systematic massacre of Jewish people, LGBTQ people and others during the Holocaust.

“It’s really sad to find young people confused and don’t realize the dangers from being affected by fear of being ‘other,'” said Rabbi Yosef Greenberg who is the museum’s president. board.

Museum Director Rabbi Yosef Greenberg and Curator Leslie Fried stand in front of the Alaska Jewish Museum. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)

Greenberg claimed he was enthused by the apology Foster offered during court proceedings, declaring the judge was wrong and hoped to learn from his mistakes.

All over the world, the number documented antisemitic incidents has risen to an record-setting level in an audit of 2022 by the Anti-Defamation League. Greenberg claimed that in his 32 years living in Alaska In addition, he’s noticed an increase in threats directed at the Jewish community over the past decade. Greenberg blames this due to the spreading of false information and lies that are aided through the Internet.

“Bigotry and hate only leads to destruction of the person who is doing it and those who practice the wrong thing,” Greenberg said. “But this is not good for anyone. The evil will never prevail.”

Federal agents first arrested Foster for drug-related charges after Foster was discovered engaging in social media sales of Psilocybin mushrooms. In the course of executing a warrant for search agents discovered “Nazi-inspired images, such as an swastika sticker box” in the home of Foster in the words of U.S. Attorney’s office.

The office announced that they will notify the federal Bureau of Prisons will assign Foster to a facility in order to execute his sentence in the coming weeks.