Kansas Man Indicted For Issuing Death Threats, Racial Slurs To Blacks - Justice Dept.

A Kansas man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for using guns, death threats and racial slurs to intimidate African Americans as well as for interfering with the victims' rights, the US Justice Department said in a press release on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th May, 2023) A Kansas man has been indicted by a Federal grand jury for using guns, death threats and racial slurs to intimidate African Americans as well as for interfering with the victims' rights, the US Justice Department said in a press release on Tuesday.

"The indictment alleges that, on July 27, 2022, Austin Schoemann, 30, of Wichita, brandished a firearm and used racial slurs in order to threaten two Black juveniles, Victims 1 and 2, while they were entering a QuikTrip gasoline station," the release said. "In addition to intimidating and interfering with the two young men, Schoemann used his firearm to threaten a Black adult, Victim-3, who intervened in support of the juveniles' federally-protected right to be free from racial discrimination when visiting a gasoline station."

The Justice Department said Schoemann was also charged with using a firearm while committing these crimes, the release said.

From January through August 2022, Schoemann interfered with the federally-protected housing rights of a white woman, Victim-4, by threatening to harm or kill any Black people who visited her home, the release said.

Many of the threats were made in-person, as Schoemann would also stand outside of Victim-4's house and scream racial slurs and threats whenever he thought the woman had Black visitors in her house or planned to do so, the release said.

Schoemann is charged with two violations of using the internet to send videos and messages to Victim-4's family members and for repeatedly threatening to shoot and kill her Black visitors, the release added.

Schoemann could serve up to ten years in prison for the firearms charges, a maximum of five years for distributing threatening messages online and a mandatory minimum of seven years for brandishing a firearm while committing acts of violence, according to the release.