Three NY Men Hit with Federal Hate Crime Charges for Obama-Election Retribution

STATEN ISLAND, NY – A trio of Staten Island men face federal hate crime charges for a night of violence they allegedly committed in retaliation for Barack Obama’s election victory. Ralph Nicoletti, Michael Contreras, both 18, and Brian Carranza, 21, were nabbed late Tuesday and are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann today.

On November 4, 2008, the group, along with a fourth friend, descended on Park Hill, a predominantly African-American neighborhood, following Obama’s win. They targeted a 17-year-old African-American and beat him with a metal pipe and baton. The youth survived but suffered severe injuries.

They didn’t stop there. The defendants also roughed up an African-American man in Port Richmond, interrogated a Latino voter about his choice of candidate, and drove by an Election Night gathering at a hair salon, spewing profanities about Obama.

Their final assault was a mistake – they hit a presumed African-American man with their car. The victim ended up in a coma for a time after the attack. All charges are mere allegations at this point, and the defendants are innocent until proven guilty.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Grace Chung Becker called the incidents ‘shocking,’ saying federal prosecutors will use all laws to prosecute such acts of violence. U.S. Attorney Benton J. Campbell decried the attacks as an affront to democracy, vowing full prosecution and thanking law enforcement partners for their efforts.

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Joseph M. Demarest Jr. emphasized the civil rights aspect of the crime, while NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly vowed a relentless fight against hate crimes. The trio each faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

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