Indiana

An Indiana man has been charged with a hate crime for sending threatening communications to Anti-Defamation League offices around the US.

According to the indictment, the defendant left voicemails threatening to kill Jewish people at Anti-Defamation League offices. The defendant chose his victims because of their actual or perceived religion.

If found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

These are serious allegations. But the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Indictment: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/pr/indiana-man-indicted-sending-violent-anti-semitic-threats-four-offices-anti-defamation

A grand jury charged an Indiana woman with a hate crime for a racially motivated attack on a woman of Chinese descent.

According to the indictment, on January 11, 2023, the defendant attacked the victim with a knife because of the victim’s race and national origin and injured her. The indictment also alleges that that the defendant attempted to kill the victim.

These are serious allegations. But the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/indiana-woman-charged-federal-hate-crime-racially-motivated-attack-against-woman-chinese

A federal judge sentenced two men to prison for their roles in the 2017 bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Two other defendants have pled guilty to their roles in the bombing.

During the summer of 2017, the defendants joined a terrorist militia group called “The White Rabbits” in Clarence, Illinois. On August 4th and 5th, the group drove a rented truck from Illinois to Minnesota to bomb the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center. The defendants selected the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center to terrorize Muslims into believing they are not welcome in the United States and should leave the country. On August 5, the group bombed the Islamic Center. At the time of the bombing, several worshipers were gathered in the mosque for morning prayers.

On November 7, 2017, the group also attempted to set fire to the Women’s Health Practice in Champaign, Illinois. They used a sledgehammer to break a window and placed a device in the building to start a fire. The device did not ignite and was found by a Women’s Health Practice employee.

The two men face between 14 and 16 years in prison for their crimes.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/federal-jury-convicts-illinois-man-bombing-dar-al-farooq-islamic-center

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/two-illinois-men-sentenced-prison-their-roles-bombing-dar-al-farooq-islamic-center

An Indiana man was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to making racially motivated threats to intimidate and interfere with his neighbor, who is Black, in violation of the Fair Housing Act, and for unlawfully possessing firearms.

After learning about the neighbor’s plans to remove a tree from the neighbor’s property, the defendant took several steps to threaten, intimidate, and interfere with his neighbor and the construction. This included placing and burning a cross on the fence line facing his neighbor’s property; displaying a swastika facing his neighbor’s property; displaying a large sign containing a variety of anti-Black racial slurs and a machete next to the swastika; loudly playing the song “Dixie” on repeat; and throwing eggs at his neighbor’s house.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/indiana-man-sentenced-46-months-prison-making-racially-motivated-threats-toward-black