David Bluer, Hate Crime, Michigan 2021

A Warren man has pleaded guilty to defacing a predominantly Black church in Roseville, Michigan, a hate crime offense.

David Bluer, 34, spray-painted several swastikas, the word 'die,' and other graffiti on the Roseville church because of the race and color of individuals associated with the church, in October 2021, according to court documents.

The defendant admitted that he intentionally defaced the church because the church serves a predominantly Black congregation and has a Black pastor.

For this, Bluer pleaded guilty to one count of damaging religious property, a hate crime offense, in the Eastern District of Michigan.

Bluer faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 19, 2025.

U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison said the guilty plea should send a clear message that the office will aggressively protect its district's houses of worship, including against attacks motivated by race and color.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division said, 'Racially motivated crimes have no place in our society.' She added, 'Hate crimes are message crimes intended to sow fear and terror in communities.'

Chevoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, said, 'David Bluer's guilty plea to a hate crime for defacing a predominantly Black church underscores the FBI's steadfast commitment to addressing civil rights violations and holding individuals accountable for acts of hate.'

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/pr/warren-man-pleads-guilty-hate-crime-offense-defacing-predominantly-black-church