Skip to main content

Two Idaho Men Convicted for Federal Hate Crime Assault

Michael Bullard and Richard Armstrong were convicted yesterday by a jury in Boise, Idaho, on federal hate crime and conspiracy charges in connection with the racially-motivated assault of an African American man outside of a Wal-Mart store in July 2008, announced Loretta King, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division; Thomas E. Moss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho; Timothy Fuhrman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office; and Bill Augsburger, Chief of the Nampa Police Department.

Bullard and Armstrong each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct.19, 2009. A third defendant, James Whitewater, pleaded guilty before trial and testified against the other two defendants.

Evidence revealed that on July 4, 2008, three men using racial slurs ambushed, chased and beat a 24-year-old African American man as he walked out of a Wal-Mart store in Nampa, Idaho. Witnesses testified that Bullard, Armstrong and Whitewater all participated in the assault, while a fourth person, a girlfriend of one of the defendants, held their belongings and cheered them on. The girlfriend, Jennifer Hartpence, was initially charged as a co-defendant, but her case was dismissed before it reached the jury.

After four hours of deliberation, the jury convicted the two remaining defendants of conspiring to violate the federally-protected rights of the victim and of actually violating the victim’s protected rights by engaging in the racially-motivated assault.

"Driven by bigotry and prejudice, the defendants brutally assaulted a young man for no other reason than the color of his skin. Hate crimes have no place in America, and we are pleased that a jury of their peers has brought the defendants to justice," said Assistant Attorney General King. "The Civil Rights Division will continue to vigorously prosecute those who commit these heinous crimes to the full extent the law allows."

"These convictions mean that racial crimes will not be tolerated, not in this country, not on any day. Idaho, like most other parts of this nation, has had inglorious moments in its past when people endured oppression and criminal acts merely because of their skin color, race, national origin, gender or religion. We are long past that time," said U.S. Attorney Moss. "We thank the FBI and the Nampa Police Department for their outstanding work in bringing this case forward."

"One cannot help but note the irony of how these terrible acts occurred on the 4th of July," said Special Agent in Charge Fuhrman. "In this day and age, law enforcement will not tolerate hate crimes. The FBI is committed to investigating these incidents aggressively and without hesitation."

"The victim of these crimes was minding his own business, shopping in a store in our city open to the public – as all of us do, and have a right to do, every day. This man paid a high price, an example to all that we must protect our rights with courage and be vigilant in defending the rights of our fellow citizens," said Chief Augsburger.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

15 Gang Members Convicted on Conspiracy, Weapons Possession, Firearms Trafficking Charges Case Follows Recent Convictions of 137th Street Crew and East Harlem Narcotics Trafficking Organization

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., announced the results of the investigation and prosecution of one of Central Harlem’s most destructive criminal street gangs, referred to as “ONE TWENTY-NINE” or “GOODFELLAS/THE NEW DONS,” which terrorized the neighborhood surrounding West 129th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues. Thirteen members of the gang have previously pleaded guilty to importing, possessing, and using firearms over the course of the conspiracy.

Mortgage Fraud

Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau announced today the indictment of 13 individuals and a mortgage origination company for perpetrating over $100 million in mortgage fraud over a four-year period in the New York City metropolitan area. In addition, 12 individuals have already waived indictment and pleaded guilty to felonies relating to their participation in the mortgage fraud scheme. The indictment charges 13 individuals and the mortgage company, AFG FINANCIAL GROUP, INC., with enterprise corruption, grand larceny, scheme to defraud and conspiracy involving 19 fraudulent mortgage transactions. The defendants include the principals and a number of employees of the mortgage company, as well as bank employees, appraisers, and three attorneys. Two other attorneys are among the defendants who already pleaded guilty. The crimes charged in the indictment occurred between June 2004 and April 2009 with the bulk of the fraudulent closings occurring from mid-2005 through the end of...

DISTRICT ATTORNEY VANCE ANNOUNCES INDICTMENT OF SIX SUBCONTRACTING COMPANIES AND THEIR OWNERS IN MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR FRAUD

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictments of six subcontracting companies and their owners for colluding with LEHR CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION (LEHR) in a multimillion dollar scheme that defrauded numerous construction clients over the past decade. See, related story. The announcement comes one day after DA Vance announced LEHR and four executives were indicted on crimes including Enterprise Corruption, the New York State Racketeering law. GODSELL CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION and its owner ARTHUR GODSELL are charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree. JT ROSELLE LIGHTING, INC. and its owner JAMES ROSELLE, LIBERTY CONTRACTING CORPORATION and its owners GEORGE FOTIADIS and KEVIN FOTIADIS, PJ MECHANICAL and its owner JAMES PAPPAS, SUPERIOR ACOUSTICS, INC. and its owner KENNETH MCGUIGAN, and SWEENEY & HARKIN CARPENTRY and its owner MICHAEL HAYES are charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree.[1] "The defendants in this case cheated clie...