Teens plead in hate crimes case

Two teenagers pleaded guilty yesterday to charges that resulted from incidents last summer of anti-black and anti-Semitic graffiti and an attempted cross burning in a Congers neighborhood. Eric Moghab and Zachary Mayer, then 16 and both of Congers, were given youthful offender status by County Court Judge Kenneth Resnik as part of a negotiated settlement reached between their lawyers and prosecutors. The status, given because of their age and lack of criminal record, seals the details of their pleas, the charges, and sentences, essentially erasing the convictions from their record. The youthful adjudication, made in open court, also bars defense lawyers and prosecutors from discussing the case.