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Racist Attackers Sentenced in Houston
Charles Cannon, 26, Michael McLaughlin, 41, and Brian Kerstetter, 33, have been handed down prison sentences for their roles in a hate crime attack on a 29-year-old African-American man in downtown Houston.
According to court documents, on August 13, 2011, the three men approached the victim, who was waiting at a bus stop, and surrounded and attacked him using racial slurs and physical violence. The defendants were arrested at the scene after a passerby called 911.
The defendants were found guilty of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in April 2012. Kerstetter was sentenced to 77 months in prison, Cannon was sentenced to 37 months, and McLaughlin was sentenced to 30 months.
The attack was a brutal and senseless act of hate, said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division. It is a sad reality that violent acts of hate committed because of someone’s race are not a thing of the past.
The case was investigated by the Houston Division of the FBI in cooperation with the Houston Police Department and the Harris County, Texas, District Attorney’s Office. Trial Attorney Saeed Mody and Special Litigation Counsel Gerard Hogan prosecuted the case.
The passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 provided a powerful tool to law enforcement, said Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris of the FBI’s Houston Field Office. With today’s sentencing, the message is clear: our communities will not tolerate hate.
The three men will serve their sentences followed by three years of supervised release. The case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of hate crimes in our society and the importance of continued vigilance and prosecution.
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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