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Press Release

Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced to Prison for Hate Crime at Downtown Pittsburgh T-Station

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH - Ryan Kyle pled guilty and has been sentenced in Pittsburgh to 36 months imprisonment, to run concurrently with the term of imprisonment imposed at Criminal No. 9241 of 2015, with credit for time served in state custody from February 16, 2016, to April 20, 2016, followed by three years supervised release, on a charge of violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today. 

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Ryan Kyle, age 23, of Baldwin Borough, Pennsylvania.

According to information presented to the court, on May 30, 2015, Kyle violated the Hate Crimes Prevention Act by willfully causing bodily injury to K.L. because of K.L.’s perceived race, color, and national origin. 

The government informed the Court that if the case were to proceed to trial, the evidence would establish that Kyle assaulted K.L., a then 53-year-old African-American man, because of K.L.’s actual and perceived color and race.  The assault took place at the Wood Street T Station in downtown Pittsburgh on May 30, 2015.  The assault was captured on Port Authority video and occurred following a Kenny Chesney concert at Heinz Field.

Assistant United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

Acting U.S. Attorney Song commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Port Authority Police Department for conducting the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Kyle.

Updated February 23, 2017

Topic
Hate Crimes