Anti-Semitic vandalism suspect now in custody

Three days after a warrant was issued for his arrest in the case of the Nov. 30 vandalism of a glass display case at the Robert A. and Sandra B. Borns Jewish Studies Program office in Goodbody Hall, IU employee Mark Zacharias has turned himself into the Monroe County Jail.

Dec. 14, the IU Police Department issued an arrest warrant for Zacharias, 54, for institutional criminal mischief, a D felony, according to an IUPD press release. The warrant was filed after the police conducted multiple interviews with Zacharias regarding the Nov. 30 vandalism, IUPD Chief of Police Keith Cash said.

The vandalism occurred amidst a series of anti-Semitic incidents on IU campus.

After the warrant was issued, Cash said that Zacharias, scholarship coordinator for Hutton Honors College, was believed to have hired a lawyer and was going to turn himself into the authorities.

Mathew Auer, dean of the Honors College, said even if convicted, there is no concern that any of the data Zacharias handled would be faulty.

“We have a lot of redundancy built into our system here,” Auer said. “From where (Zacharias) sits he is not really capable of making a lot of mischief … there are a number of internal checks that would catch anything out of the ordinary.”

Still, people in the Honors College are upset about the situation, Auer said.

"Needless to say, these are allegations at this point so we don't know what will transpire," Auer said. "But the values that have been ascribed to him are not our values. We have a zero tolerance for hate and that is not what the Honors College is about."

Zacharias is currently suspended with pay, IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said. However, that status will change if Zacharias is convicted.

“The crime is serious enough that if it is determined that he is guilty, that would most likely merit immediate termination,” MacIntyre said.

His bond is $4,000; surety $500 cash. If convicted, Zacharias could face up to three years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.