Racist tagger pleads guilty

COLLINSVILLE, Ill., July 23 (UPI) -- An Illinois man admitted he spray-painted racial threats and epithets on the home of a black couple and their white friend, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

William Bowen, 25, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to conspiring to violate the civil rights of the three Collinsville, Ill., residents, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release. He faces up to 11 years in prison when he is sentenced Oct. 31.

Bowen, who allegedly told authorities he conspired with another person to do the spray-painting, admitted the purpose of the conspiracy was to frighten and intimidate the victims because of their race, and to scare them into moving out of the neighborhood, the federal prosecutors said.

Co-defendant Joseph Brown is to stand trial this month on charges of conspiracy, committing a civil rights violation and making a false statement to a federal agent.