Ocala, FL – Robert Lashley, 52, pleaded guilty today to a federal hate crime for attacking a Black man because of his actual and perceived race.
According to the plea agreement, on Nov. 17, 2021, Lashley traveled to the Family Dollar in Citrus Springs, Florida, where the victim, a Black man, was shopping inside. Lashley followed the victim outside into the parking lot and then attacked him, striking the victim multiple times. Lashley and his co-defendant, Roy Lamar Lashley, directed racial slurs towards the victim before, during, and after the attack. The victim sustained injuries to his face and legs, including a laceration to the inside of his mouth.
“The defendant is being held accountable for subjecting a Black man to a brutal and racially- motivated assault,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of 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. Racially-motivated hate crimes have no place in our society.”
“Acts of violence against anyone because of their race or ethnicity are abhorrent,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that such crimes are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim, these crimes threaten and intimidate entire communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Sherri E. Onks for the FBI Jacksonville Field Division. “Because of their wide-ranging impact, investigating and preventing hate crimes is a top priority for the FBI and we will stop at nothing to protect the public from these heinous crimes.”
A sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Lashley faces a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment, three years of mandatory supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
DOJ
