North Carolina man convicted of separate hate crimes

Jan. 11 (UPI) -- A North Carolina jury on Thursday convicted 52-year-old Marian Hudak of hate crimes against a Black man and Hispanic man in different incidents.

Evidence in the trial proved that in October, Hudak encountered a black man identified in court documents as J.S., while driving in Concord, N.C., and shouted racial slurs at him. Hudak yelled "come here, boy," to J.S. then swerved his car into the lane occupied by J.S.'s vehicle.

Hudak then got out of his car, approached J.S.'s car and punched the driver's side window several times. After J.S. fled, Hudak proceeded to follow J.S. to his home where Hudak continued to shout racial slurs and threatened to shoot and kill J.S., according to evidence presented at trial.

Evidence presented at trial also proved that in November 2021, Hudak attacked his Hispanic neighbor, J.D., outside J.D.'s home because of his nationality.

"Hudak shouted racially charged insults at J.D. before attacking him. Hudak punched and tackled J.D., causing J.D. to suffer bodily injury," the court documents said.

Witnesses testified at trial about Hudak's frequent anti-Hispanic comments, both before and after the attack on J.D., and about other instances where Hudak shouted slurs at, gave the middle finger to and drove aggressively near other minority motorists in the Concord area. Other evidence included a KKK flag, a racist publication and Nazi memorabilia found in Hudak's residence.

"It's one thing to use racial slurs and harbor the KKK's flag, but carrying out acts of violence fueled by naked racial animus and hatred violates the law and core principles of our democracy," a release from The Justice Department said.

Hudak was charged in June with willfully injuring, intimidating or interfering with J.S. because of J.S.'s race and color and because J.S. was using a public facility. Hudak was charged with willfully injuring, intimidating or interfering with J.D. because of J.D.'s race and national origin and because J.D. was occupying a dwelling.

"The defendant was held accountable for his violent and unlawful attacks on Black and Hispanic members of his community," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

"The Justice Department will vigorously investigate and prosecute violence targeting people because of their race or national origin. All community members should be able to live in and move about their neighborhoods without fear of attack because of how they look or where they are from."

Hudak is scheduled to be be sentenced May 1.