KKK Leader Dinkle Admits to Ozark Cross Burning

MONTGOMERY, AL – Steven Joshua Dinkle, 28, the former Exalted Cyclops of the Ozark, Ala., chapter of the International Keystone Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), admitted guilt in federal court yesterday for a racially motivated hate crime and attempts to mislead investigators. Dinkle’s plea centers around the 2009 burning of a cross intended to terrorize residents of an African-American neighborhood.

According to court documents, Dinkle and his KKK recruit, Thomas Windell Smith, plotted the act on May 8, 2009, at Dinkle’s home. They constructed a six-foot wooden cross, reinforcing it with jeans and a towel to enhance its flammability, then transported it in Smith’s truck to the targeted neighborhood in Ozark. Around 8:00 p.m., Dinkle dug a hole at the community’s entrance, planted the cross, doused it with fuel, and ignited it – all in clear view of multiple homes. The pair then fled the scene.

The lies didn’t stop there. When questioned by local law enforcement, Dinkle falsely claimed he’d left the KKK months prior and had no involvement. Facing the FBI, he doubled down, fabricating an alibi stating he was home with his girlfriend. He even denied knowing a superior within the KKK hierarchy at the time of the incident. During the plea hearing, Dinkle finally confessed that his intent was to instill fear and intimidation within the African-American community, explicitly admitting the cross burning was motivated by the victims’ race and their residence in the area.

Dinkle pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate housing rights, one count of criminal interference with the right to fair housing, and two counts of obstruction of justice. He now faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy and housing rights charges. The obstruction of justice charges carry a potential sentence of 25 years and a $500,000 fine. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

Dinkle isn’t the only one facing consequences. His co-conspirator, Thomas Windell Smith, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate housing rights in December 2013 and is set to be sentenced on March 11, 2014. Federal officials are sending a clear message: hate-fueled violence will not be tolerated.

“By targeting the victims with a blazing cross in the night, one of the most threatening racial symbols in our nation’s history, the defendant attempted to terrorize a neighborhood because of the color of the residents’ skin,” stated Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama added, “We will continue to prosecute those that commit these horrible acts of hate to the fullest extent of the law.” The investigation was a joint effort by the FBI, Dale County Sheriff’s Office, and Ozark Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerusha T. Adams and Trial Attorney Chiraag Bains.

PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
Email: usaalm.press@usdoj.gov
Telephone: (334) 551-1755
Fax: (334) 223-7617