A 27-year-old Colorado man has pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime for stabbing a Black man from Ontario, Oregon, in a fast-food restaurant.
Nolan Levi Strauss pleaded guilty to a hate crime involving an attempt to kill. According to court documents, on the morning of December 21, 2019, a man walked into an Arby’s restaurant and adjoining Pilot Travel Center in Ontario, where he planned to provide documentation for a pending job application.
The man sat in a booth by himself, waiting to meet with the restaurant manager, when Strauss entered the building and approached the man from behind. Suddenly, unprovoked and without warning, Strauss stabbed the man twice in the neck.
The man tried to grab Strauss’s hands and take the knife, and, in the process, managed to prevent Strauss from stabbing him again. A maintenance worker approached Strauss and directed him to drop the knife several times. Finally, the stabbing victim broke free from Strauss’s grip and ran to the other side of the restaurant before collapsing on the floor.
While they waited, the worker asked Strauss why he stabbed the man. Strauss replied, “Because he was Black, and I don’t like Black people.” Strauss was arrested at the scene. He later admitted he was trying to kill the man because was he was Black.
The stabbing victim suffered two lacerations to his neck. He was evaluated in Ontario and subsequently life-flighted to a hospital in Boise, Idaho for emergency surgery.
“The defendant is being held accountable for his vicious, racially-motivated attack on a Black man who was targeted because of the color of his skin,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Nolan Levi Strauss, 27, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. He will be sentenced on September 9 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane. This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Ontario Police Department, Oregon State Police, and the Malheur County District Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Cameron A. Bell, Trial Attorney for the Civil Rights Division.
This crime serves as a horrifying reminder that racism and bigotry still exist and threaten the safety of communities of color,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug for the District of Oregon.
Hate crimes not only hurt victims, but spread fear across entire communities. This conviction should send a strong message that federal law enforcement will not tolerate hate-motivated acts of violence and will move swiftly to hold those responsible accountable,” added Asphaug.
This case highlights the importance of holding perpetrators of hate crimes accountable for their actions, and the need for continued vigilance in preventing such crimes from occurring in the first place.
Related Federal Cases
- Aleykina, Financial Manipulation, California 2023 · North Carolina
- Calel, Money Laundering, California 2023 · North Carolina
- Jones, Large-Scale Financial Transactions, California 2024 · North Carolina
- Fields, Racketeering, Money Laundering, California 2023 · Washington
- Rexburg Builder Siphons $580K, Gets 5+ Years · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Colorado
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
