Graham Williamson, 38, Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Burning Cross in Seminary, Mississippi
Washington, D.C. – Graham Williamson, 38, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for federal charges related to burning a cross in Seminary, Mississippi on October 24, 2017. Williamson had previously pleaded guilty on August 5, 2019 to one count of interfering with the right to fair housing, a civil rights violation, and one count of conspiracy to use fire to commit a federal felony.
Williamson, along with his co-conspirator, constructed and burned a wooden cross near the home of the victim, M.H., a minor who lived in a residential area of Seminary predominantly inhabited by African Americans. The cross was burned to threaten, intimidate, and harass M.H. and other African American residents for their race and color of skin and for living in and occupying residences in that area of Seminary.
“The defendant resorted to a terrible symbol of racial violence to threaten and intimidate the victims solely on account of their race and the neighborhood in which they lived,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “Hate crimes like this contravene the deeply ingrained principles of our society of equality and freedom from racial intimidation, and the Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute such crimes with the full weight of the law.”
“Any individual who terrorizes our people and commits crimes based on the color of someone’s skin will undoubtedly be rapidly prosecuted by this office,” stated U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst for the Southern District of Mississippi. “Together with our associated law enforcement agencies, we will continue to do everything we can to prevent such racist crimes so our people can live in peace and without fear.”
“When people violate the civil rights of others solely to intimidate them, in this case, by burning a cross, it terrorizes the entire community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin. “Mississippians should not fear for their safety within their own neighborhoods, and this case should send a clear message to those who threaten others based on their race or color of skin. Civil rights investigations remain one of the FBI’s top priorities in Mississippi, and we will continue with a robust investigation of the facts and seek prosecution for these violations.”
Williamson is the second individual to be convicted for his participation in this cross burning. His co-conspirator, Louie Bernard Revette, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with the right to fair housing and one count of use of fire to commit a federal felony. On September 10, 2019, Judge Starrett sentenced Revette to 11 years in prison for those charges.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Jackson, Mississippi, Local Office, including the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Jackson Public Corruption Task Force. Julia Gegenheimer, Special Litigation Counsel for the Civil Rights Division, and Candace Mayberry, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, prosecuted the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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