HORNELL, N.Y. (WETM) – A Hornell man is now the third person guilty in connection to a string of hateful symbols and pamphlets that appeared in local houses of worship and on City property last summer.
The Steuben County District Attorney’s Office announced that Ryan Mulhollen, 28, was convicted on 10 counts of 1st-degree Aggravated Harassment and nine counts of 4th-degree Criminal Mischief as a Hate Crime. All the charges are class-E felonies.
The decision came after Mulhollen and two others (Aubrey Dragonetti and Dylan Henry) were arrested in July 2022 when Hornell Police investigated reports that pamphlets and stickers of swastikas and racial slurs showed up in two local churches, as well as throughout James Street Park.
According to the DA’s announcement, Mulhollen placed the swastikas, nooses, and “other racially directed statements of hate… in the name of the Aryan National Army”, a group made up of only the three people arrested. The announcement also said that the three tried to recruit new members but were unsuccessful. “Hornell proved infertile ground for racial extremists,” the DA’s release said.
Both Dragonetti and Henry have pleaded guilty for their part in the crimes, the DA said. Henry is currently serving his prison sentence.
“Hopefully this conviction sends a message that should already have been sent,” DA Brooks Baker said, “that hate, and crimes committed in its name have no place in our community.”
Baker went on to say that the crime was out of character for the Hornell community, adding to its shock value. His statement echoed the City’s response last year when it said it was “shocked and appalled” such a crime could happen in the “close-knit, welcoming, and accepting” Maple City.
Mulhollen faces a potential 10-20 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for July 18, 2023 in Steuben County Court.
