Aryan Brotherhood Inmate Sentenced for Federal Hate Crime for Assaulting Fellow Inmate

WASHINGTON—John Hall, 27, an Aryan Brotherhood member and inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Seagoville, Texas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor after pleading guilty to violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, stemming from his assault of a fellow inmate, whom he believed to be gay, the Department of Justice announced. Hall assaulted his fellow inmate with a dangerous weapon, causing bodily injury to the victim on December 20, 2011. Hall was sentenced to serve 71 months in prison, to be served consecutively with the sentence he is currently serving.
The assault occurred on December 20, 2011, inside the FCI Seagoville when Hall targeted and attacked the victim, a fellow inmate, because he believed the victim was gay or involved in a sexual relationship with another male inmate. Hall repeatedly punched, kicked, and stomped on the victim’s face with his shod feet, a dangerous weapon, while yelling a homophobic slur. The victim lost consciousness during the assault and suffered multiple lacerations to his face. The victim also sustained a fractured eye socket, lost a tooth, fractured other teeth, and was treated at a hospital for the injuries he sustained during Hall’s unprovoked attack. Hall pleaded guilty to violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act on November 8, 2012.
“Brutality and violence based on sexual orientation has no place in a civilized society,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to using all the tools in our law enforcement arsenal, including the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, to prosecute acts motivated by hate.”
“This prosecution sends a clear message that this office, in partnership with attorneys in the department’s Civil Rights Division, will prioritize and aggressively prosecute hate crimes and others civil rights violations in North Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.
This case was investigated by the FBI Dallas Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Errin Martin and Trial Attorney Adriana Vieco of the Civil Rights Division.

Centre County Man Sentenced to Prison for Burning Cross on Woman’s Lawn

JOHNSTOWN, PA—A resident of Centre County, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to one year and a day of incarceration and three years’ supervised release on his conviction of a charge of interfering with housing, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence yesterday on Ryan M. Held, a/k/a Ryan M. Foley, 21, formerly of 133 Hemlock Street, Philipsburg, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on August 20, 2010, Held, by force and threat of force, willfully intimidated and interfered with two minor victims—one of whom was an African-American male, because of his race and because he was occupying a dwelling; and one of whom was a female who was and had been lawfully allowing such African-American male, a friend, to occupy the dwelling in which she resided. During the afternoon of August 20, Held drove past the female victim’s home in Woodland, Pennsylvania, and saw her socializing with a few friends, one of whom was African-American. Just before midnight, Held returned to the property and placed a cross in the front yard of the female victim, approximately 60 feet from the entry to her home, and set it on fire for the purpose of intimidating and interfering with her and her African-American friend. Held spent a few minutes laying in the woods bordering the property watching the cross burn and waiting to see if anyone emerged from the residence.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government, together with Trial Attorney Roy Conn of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Held.

Centre County Man Sentenced to Prison for Burning Cross on Woman’s Lawn

JOHNSTOWN, PA—A resident of Centre County, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to one year and a day of incarceration and three years’ supervised release on his conviction of a charge of interfering with housing, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence yesterday on Ryan M. Held, a/k/a Ryan M. Foley, 21, formerly of 133 Hemlock Street, Philipsburg, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on August 20, 2010, Held, by force and threat of force, willfully intimidated and interfered with two minor victims—one of whom was an African-American male, because of his race and because he was occupying a dwelling; and one of whom was a female who was and had been lawfully allowing such African-American male, a friend, to occupy the dwelling in which she resided. During the afternoon of August 20, Held drove past the female victim’s home in Woodland, Pennsylvania, and saw her socializing with a few friends, one of whom was African-American. Just before midnight, Held returned to the property and placed a cross in the front yard of the female victim, approximately 60 feet from the entry to her home, and set it on fire for the purpose of intimidating and interfering with her and her African-American friend. Held spent a few minutes laying in the woods bordering the property watching the cross burn and waiting to see if anyone emerged from the residence.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government, together with Trial Attorney Roy Conn of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Held.