Marian Hudak. | Source: Concord Police Department
A suspected white supremacist who was found to be in possession of a KKK flag and Nazi memorabilia was convicted this week of a federal hate crime for terrorizing Black and brown people, including using racial slurs and threatening to kill them on multiple occasions.
Marian Hudak, 52, of North Carolina, was found guilty on Thursday when a jury rendered its verdict after hearing evidence about the defendant’s actions in two specific instances for which he was charged with willfully injuring, intimidating or interfering with individuals because of their race and color and, in one case, national origin, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.
The DOJ went into detail about the charges for which Hudak was convicted:
Evidence at trial proved that, on Oct. 13, 2022, Hudak encountered a Black man, identified as J.S., while driving in Concord, North Carolina, and shouted racial slurs at him. After telling J.S. to “come here, boy,” Hudak swerved into J.S.’s lane, got out of his vehicle and punched J.S.’s driver’s side window multiple times. When J.S. fled, Hudak chased him to his home where he continued shouting racial slurs and threatened to shoot and kill him.
Evidence at trial also proved that on Nov. 27, 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. Additional trial witnesses testified 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.
Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, warned in a statement that the actions committed by Hudak won’t be tolerated.
“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. The defendant was held accountable for his violent and unlawful attacks on Black and Hispanic members of his community,” Clarke said. “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 sentenced in May.
According to data from Cornell University, sentencing guidelines for the federal hate crimes for which Hudak was convicted could include prison time of anywhere from 10 years to life in addition to fines.
SEE ALSO:
White Man Threatened To Stab Black Men To Death While Yelling Racial Slurs, Says DA
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