The man accused of spray-painting swastikas through Brooklyn Heights and hoarding illegal weapons in his Remsen Street apartment was reportedly a paid police informant.
Prosecutors admitted in court last Tuesday that Ivaylo Ivanov, who is now facing life in prison on numerous hate crime and arms charges, was hired by the Police Department to fence stolen goods to a Flatbush Avenue merchant, the New York Post reported.
The lawyers had to drop the case against the businessman, Abdul Rehium, because Ivanov could not be considered a reliable witness due to his alleged crimes.
Ivanov was considered a suspect in the September frenzy that laced Brooklyn Heights homes, synagogues and playgrounds with 23 swastikas in one night, but he stayed free until January. That’s when Ivanov accidentally blew off the tip of his finger, causing police to search his residence, which was more like an armory. While in custody on weapons charges, he confessed to the anti-Semitic tear, cops say.
