North Texan Gets 1 Year In Prison For Threatening African American Neighbors In His Apartment Complex
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A Grapevine man was sentenced Wednesday to one year in federal prison for a hate crime after his guilty plea in July.
In court documents, Halfin admits in December 2017, he purchased a baby doll at Walmart, fashioned a rope into a noose, and slipped the noose around the baby doll's neck. He then hung the noose from the railing directly in front of the staircase the victims used to access their apartment.
The defendant "recognized that this display would be particularly intimidating for the African American victims who had a young daughter," documents say.
"No family should be afraid for children in their own home," said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. "The Northern District of Texas will not tolerate crimes born of bigotry. Prosecuting those that persecute others based on race is a priority for my office."
"The Justice Department will not tolerate unlawful acts of racial intimidation," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Gore. "We will continue to prosecute hate crime offenders like Halfin to ensure that all families can feel safe in their own homes, regardless of their race, religion, or national origin."