The man accused of burning pride flags hanging from porches in Northside last year has pleaded guilty in federal court.
U.S. District Court documents show Thomas Brian Niehaus took a plea deal Thursday on a malicious use of fire charge.
The details of the plea deal U.S. attorneys offered were not immediately available. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett will determine Niehaus' sentence after the court produces a pre-sentencing report.
Investigators used Red Bike rental records and porch camera footage to tie Niehaus to the July 30, 2025 fires. Officials say he targeted at least 10 houses in the early morning hours, including one with a Ukrainian flag.
Footage caught Niehaus uttering a homophobic slur while setting fire to one of the flags.
WVXU spoke to Jon King, the owner of the house in the video, last July. He says he and his wife were asleep when the incident happened. They discovered the burned flag a couple hours later.
"It could very well have lit our house on fire," King said. "That turned it from just annoying vandalism to, 'This is attempted arson with hate as the motivation.' It's right there in the video."
King said the incident made the neighborhood feel less safe. He said he reported it to Cincinnati Police and that officers were responsive.
The family displays the flag because they consider themselves allies of the LGBTQ community and the burning made them very concerned for their neighbors.
Niehaus also faces arson charges in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. Those proceedings were paused while the federal case unfolded.