Plainfield Man Who Vandalized Local Church Sentenced

INDIANAPOLIS — A Plainfield man is getting nearly one year behind bars for vandalizing a local Christian church in November 2024.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana sent out a release on Tuesday, stating that 21-year-old Steven James Perkinson has been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to intentional damage to religious property and making a false statement to an agency of the United States.

“Targeting any house of worship because of its faith is an attack on the fundamental freedoms that define our nation,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This defendant’s conduct, paired with his disturbing online activity, posed a real threat to those liberties.”

Investigators said that on November 18, 2024, Perkinson vandalized the sign in front of Maple Grove Baptist Church in Plainfield. He spray-painted a pitchfork and the numbers “666,” and painted over the sign’s cross symbol with an “X.”

When FBI agents questioned Perkinson about the vandalism, he initially denied knowing anything about it or being involved. A few days later, agents executed a search warrant on his cell phone, where they found searches including “Maple Grove Baptist Church Plainfield,” “Plainfield Bible Church photos,” “Churches near me,” and terms associated with occult organizations such as “Noctulian Blood Covenant” and “Nexion 435.”

On Perkinson’s phone, agents also noticed pictures of him with dead animals, evidence that he had set fire to a dumpster, and another search that read “address of largest Jewish church in America.”

Perkinson also admitted to being involved in various Satanic groups.

“Places of worship are meant to be spaces of peace, reflection, and community – not targets of intimidation or hate,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “Everyone deserves to feel safe practicing their faith without fear.”

The FBI said Perkinson had no criminal record before this church incident, but in 2023, he showed up on their radar after making a post to Instagram saying, “Now I just sit alone in my room for hours a day… Schools are meant for shooting up not learning…”

The FBI investigated this case. SAC O’Malley said the bureau will “continue to aggressively investigate hate-based crimes” and identify those who go after religious communities.