Two Men Indicted on Federal Hate Crime Charges in Idaho for Alleged 'Racially Motivated Assault'
Two men who caused serious bodily injuries to a black man in a Boise, Idaho, bar last fall were indicted today on federal hate crime charges.
The case marks the first time federal hate crime charges have been filed in Idaho – a state that has a long history of hate group activity.
Jonathan Lynn Henery, 28, and Beau Edward Hansen, 30, both of Boise, face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of what investigators describe as a “racially motivated assault of an African-American man.”
U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced the indictments (PDF) at a press conference, but she and others involved with the investigation would not disclose the victim’s name or age, nor disclose if the suspects have ties with known racist groups. However, the Boise police chief suggested the crime was motivated by the suspects’ shared racist beliefs.
Additional details about the suspects and the victim, of course, will surface if the case proceeds to trial or guilty pleas.
The indictment alleges that last October 20, both men “willfully caused bodily injury to a victim, who is African American, because of the victim’s actual and perceived race and color.” The charge was filed under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act signed into law by President Obama in 2009.
“Hate crimes target entire communities and are designed to send messages of intolerance that are not welcome here,” said Olson. “This office, along with the Civil Rights Division and our federal and local law enforcement partners, will vigorously investigate and prosecute these crimes.”
Boise Police Chief Michael Masterson, who joined Olson at the press conference, said the department’s officers who initially responded to the assault “realized quickly this case was a major crime, a civil rights violation, not just a battery, that demanded the attention of our federal partners.”
The Idaho Statesman reported the racial assault occurred at the Torch 2 Lounge in Boise. At one point during the press conference, the U.S. Attorney referred to the victim as “D.L.”
“Beliefs that fuel crimes based on hate are toxic to our entire community,” Masterson said, adding that his department’s detectives and FBI agents “put substantial hours into investigating this case.”
“Their work goes to the heart of law enforcement, which is to reduce fear and allow all residents to feel secure as they go about their daily lives,” the Boise police chief said. “Hate crimes will not be tolerated. Thankfully they are rare in our city, but when they occur, be assured they will be aggressively investigated with all available resources, which are considerable.”
