Chabad of Charlotte County arson suspect makes first appearance in federal court

DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS, Fla. — A Port Charlotte man, accused of setting a Punta Gorda synagogue on fire, made his first federal court appearance on Monday.

Cameras are not allowed inside federal buildings, but our journalists inside the courtroom said Blake Hoover sat next to his attorney in a brown jumpsuit with his hair disheveled. He was not shackled as he shook his attorney's hand.

According to the Department of Justice, Hoover could face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted of the arson charge.

A federal complaint alleges Hoover intentionally set fire to the Chabad of Charlotte County, broke windows and spray-painted the letter “J” around the property. Investigators say no one was inside the synagogue at the time of the fire.

Federal prosecutors argue that because the Chabad of Charlotte County is part of a national and international network of Chabad centers, the crime falls under federal authority.

In court on Monday, Hoover's attorney waived his client's right to a detention and preliminary hearing.

The prosecutor for the DOJ was joined by an ATF agent during Hoover's first appearance.

State charges of arson and criminal mischief to a synagogue, which Hoover was originally arrested on, have since been dropped in favor of the federal case. Hoover's first appearance in federal court is on Sept. 29.

Rabbi Jacobson told Fox 4 that Hoover's attack on the synagogue, which happened just days before Rosh Hashanah, did not impact the celebrations.

Hate of this sort will never work. It hasn't worked for the last 2,000 years," Jacobson said. "And on the contrary, this has been a broader celebration than ever before, this has been a celebration with the entire community rallying behind us."

A Punta Gorda police report said Hoover's mother told detectives her son "has a hatred toward homosexuals and Jewish people that's become worse over the past years."

Read more about the investigation here.

It's not known when Hoover is expected to be back in court.