SC Man Terrorized Neighbor with Gun, Slur

⏱ 3 min read

Jonathan Felkel, 34, of Columbia, South Carolina, is looking at a decade behind bars after pleading guilty to terrorizing his Black neighbor, identified only as J.M., on July 17, 2025. Felkel allegedly pulled a firearm and screamed a racial slur – “You better run, boy!” – at J.M. as the man entered the gated community where they both lived. The attack wasn’t random; Felkel confessed to investigators he wanted J.M. gone, believing his race linked him to “dangerous criminals.”

The incident started as a simple encounter at the community gate, but quickly escalated into a blatant threat of violence, according to FBI and Richland County Sheriff’s Department investigators. Felkel’s motive wasn’t robbery or a dispute – it was pure, unadulterated racial bias. He admitted he specifically wanted J.M. to leave the neighborhood, fueled by his hateful beliefs.

Federal prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle Klein and Lamar Fyall, alongside Trial Attorney Sarah Armstrong of the Civil Rights Division, secured the guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis. The feds built the case from the initial report, meticulously documenting Felkel’s intent and the chilling impact on J.M.

Felkel now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release after he gets out. The conviction sends a stark warning: intimidating someone based on their race won’t fly, even behind gated walls.