Two men plead guilty to Shawnee hate crime
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Two man have pleaded guilty to committing a hate crime in Shawnee in 2019.
In January, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment, charging the two men with committing a hate crime following a brutal attack against a Black man.
Family members of one of the victims, Jarric Carolina, told KFOR in 2019 that Jarric and a friend were having a drink at Brickhouse Saloon in Shawnee when they were suddenly attacked by two men.
Carolina was left unconscious.
A surveillance camera recorded the brutal beating. The camera captured one of the suspects yelling, “You’re dead” and a racial slur, following the attack.
Following an investigation, authorities charged Brandon Killian and Devan Johnson with two hate crimes.
“The defendants targeted a Black victim for a brutal attack simply because of the color of his skin,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “Hate-fueled criminal conduct is morally reprehensible and can never be acceptable in a civilized society. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to combat all hate crimes.”
On Tuesday, Johnson and Killian both pleaded guilty to committing a hate crime.
During the plea hearings in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, both defendants admitted to assaulting Carolina in the parking lot of the bar because he is Black.
“These two defendants are being held accountable for subjecting a Black man to a brutal and racially motivated assault,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Convictions like these make clear that the Department of Justice will continue to investigate and prosecute individuals who violently assault others because of their race or the color of their skin.”
Johnson and Killian face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Both defendants will be ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the case.
“Violent acts of hate and racism have no place in our community and will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Division. “The FBI will continue to use all authority granted to us by federal law to investigate crimes motivated by bias, and ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.”