Secret Service probes Obama swastika incident

The Secret Service is investigating after a swatiska was found carved into the grounds at the Lakeville Country Club next to the name of President Obama.

“It’s being investigated,” said Steven Ricciardi, the special agent in charge for the Secret Service’s Boston office. He declined further comment.

Country club grounds keepers found the letter “I,” a swatiska and the name “Obama” dug into the green at the 18th hole early yesterday morning, said golf course owner Gary Mosca.

“I said, ‘This is sick,’ ” said Mosca, whose home is also located on the 18th hole. “They are going to do this stuff and cause a problem just to be anti-establishment or just to be tough guys. Their minds are probably demented enough to think of anything.”

Mosca said his staff alerted the Lakeville police to the incident yesterday morning. He said he has not spoken with anyone from the Secret Service or Lakeville police.

The vandals either used their heels or a board to carve the message, which is about 20 by 30 feet, Mosca said. He said the vandals did not dig in deep enough to damage the root system and he plans to turn the swatiska into a box.

Mosca, who has owned the golf course for 20 years, said he didn’t hear anything during the early morning hours on Monday when the vandals cut up the green with their hateful message just a few hundred yards from his home.

He said the area where the vandalism occurred has no lighting or surveillance cameras. He added the vandalism is not visible from the road.

Mosca is an Obama admirer. He said he wrote the president a letter in January asking him to direct some of the billions of dollars distributed to shore up the nation’s banking system to middle-class business owners like himself who are struggling in the bad economy.

“I love the president,” said Mosca. “I think he’s a great guy.”