Four men indicted on federal hate crime charges are accused of attacking an African-American man while he was waiting at a bus stop in Houston.
The indictment says at least one of the men used racial slurs and all four surrounded and attacked the man by punching and kicking him about the face, head and body. Three of the accused attackers had tattoos that apparently reflect affiliation with white supremacist gangs, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
Charles Cannon, 26; Michael McLaughlin, 40; Brian Kerstetter, 32; and Joseph Staggs, 49, on federal hate crime charges related to a racially motivated assault of the 29-year-old man.
The case is being investigated by the Houston Division of the FBI in cooperation with the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Darren,
"Charles Cannon, 26; Michael McLaughlin, 40; Brian Kerstetter, 32; and Joseph Staggs, 49, on federal hate crime charges related to a racially motivated assault of the 29-year-old man."
This is not a sentence.
Posted by: StartlegramCRITIC | January 20, 2012 at 07:02 PM
but when flash gangs of black teens organize on facebook to beat and rob whites it's just 'rage of young people'. Face it, the only people who can be found guilty of hate crimes are whites.
Posted by: Untold Man | January 21, 2012 at 12:05 AM
Really? Is it still 1961 in Houston?
Sadly, these yay-hoos won't get what they really deserve because they will be kept out of general population when they get to prison.
Posted by: Jackson Mekhoff | January 21, 2012 at 02:24 PM