Bruce Mikulyuk, Cross Burning, Indiana 2009

Indiana Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Cross Burning

A federal judge has sentenced Bruce Mikulyuk, 50, of Mishawaka, Indiana, to 42 months in prison for interfering with the housing rights of a white woman and an African-American man by burning a cross in their yard and later returning with a knife and threatening the man if he did not leave.

According to the plea agreement filed with the court, Mikulyuk used racial slurs and threatened the male victim on September 27, 2007. Later that evening, Mikulyuk built a cross, took it to the victims' home, and set it on fire several feet from the home while the victims and two young children were in the home.

Mikulyuk later returned to the home with a hunting-style knife and again threatened the male victim. Mikulyuk admitted that he burned the cross and threatened the victims in order to intimidate them and interfere with their housing rights because of race.

This incident is part of a larger pattern of hate crimes in Indiana. In the past two months, three other Indiana men have been sentenced to prison time for burning a cross.

The case was investigated by Special Agent Art Grist from the Merrillville Field Office of the FBI and prosecuted by Betsy Biffl from the Civil Rights Division.

Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez stated, 'The burning cross is an unmistakable symbol of hatred with a painful history, and it has no place in this country. Unfortunately, such incidents are all too common.'

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/indiana-man-spend-42-months-prison-cross-burning