Mississippi

A judge sentenced a Mississippi man to more than three years in prison after the man pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and arson charges.

According to the plea, on December 3, 2020, the defendant made racial slurs toward his Black neighbors, then burned a cross near their property to intimidate them.

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/mississippi-man-sentenced-federal-hate-crime-cross-burning

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/mississippi-man-pleads-guilty-federal-hate-crime-cross-burning

Press Release: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/mississippi-man-charged-federal-hate-crime-cross-burning

Graham Williamson and Louie Revette, of Seminary, Mississippi, were sentenced for a racially motivated crossburning in a predominantly African-American residential area. Williamson was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison. Revette was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for recruiting Williamson, planning, and executing the crossburning.

In October 2017, the two men built a cross that they set up and lit on fire near the homes of African-American residents in the Keys Hill area of Seminary, Mississippi. Both men admitted to knowing that burning crosses have historically been used to threaten, frighten, and intimidate African-Americans, and that they wanted to make the community members in the neighborhood fearful. The crossburning was mostly directed at a young African-American victim and placed near the victim’s home.

Williamson Sentencing: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/pr/mississippi-man-sentenced-36-months-crossburning

Revette Sentencing: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/mississippi-man-sentenced-11-years-crossburning