Related Federal Cases
Dusty Leo Sentenced to 3 Years for Federal Hate Crime
A Biddeford, Maine man was sentenced to three years in prison, along with three years of supervised release and restitution, for his role in committing and conspiring to commit a federal hate crime, the Justice Department announced.
Dusty Leo, 30, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a hate crime and of actually committing a hate crime on February 25, 2020. The attack was against a Black man, and was found to be racially motivated.
Leo’s co-conspirator and uncle, Maurice Diggins, was previously convicted of conspiring to commit and committing a series of racially motivated assaults against Black men in Maine. For his convictions, Diggins was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
‘The defendant violently attacked a Black man for no reason other than his race,’ said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. ‘This sentencing marks the final chapter in the long road to justice for the victims of these violent, racially-motivated crimes.’
The case was investigated by the Biddeford Police Department and the FBI, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila Sawyer and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Tim Visser. U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen presided over the sentencing.
According to evidence presented, on April 15, 2018, Diggins attacked a Sudanese man without provocation outside of a bar in Portland, Maine, breaking his jaw. Later that day, Diggins and Leo attacked another Black man in Biddeford, breaking his jaw in several places.
‘No one should be targeted for violence because of the color of their skin or their ethnicity,’ said Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark. ‘Crimes like this tear at the very fabric of our society.’
Sentencing in the case was met with praise from law enforcement officials, who commended the bravery of the victims in coming forward.
Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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