4 Arkansas Men Convicted-tried to drive woman/child from home for associating w/ African Americans

Four Arkansas Men Convicted of Civil Rights Charges in Cross Burning Conspiracy
Wed Sep 2, 2009 12:40pm EDT

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Justice Department
announced that Jacob A. Wingo, Richard W. Robbins, Clayton D. Morrison and
Darren E. McKim pleaded guilty today and yesterday to conspiring to drive a
woman and her children from their home in Donaldson, Ark., because they
associated with African Americans. A fifth defendant, Dustin Nix, 21, pleaded
guilty to similar charges in July 2009.

All defendants pleaded guilty in federal court in Hot Springs, Ark., to civil
rights charges and charges of making a false statement to a federal law
enforcement officer. Each admitted and pleaded guilty to a felony civil
rights charge for conspiring with each other to force a woman and her young
children from their home by threats and intimidation because she associated
with African Americans. Wingo and Morrison also pleaded guilty to an
additional civil rights charge related to their direct involvement in an
attempt to burn a cross at the victims' home to intimidate the victims into
leaving. All four defendants also pleaded guilty to a related charge of lying
to agents of the FBI in an attempt to cover their conduct.

"The defendants used a despicable and unmistakable symbol of hatred, the
burning cross, to intimidate a young family because the family associated with
African Americans," said Loretta King, Acting Assistant Attorney General for
the Civil Rights Division. "The Civil Rights Division will continue to
prosecute this type of illegal, hateful behavior to the fullest extent of the
law."

As part of the conspiracy, Wingo, 20, admitted to building a cross,
transporting it to the victims' home, and attempting to set it on fire.
Morrison admitted to helping to prepare the cross and accompanying Wingo and
Nix to the victims' home to burn the cross. McKim and Robbins, 42, admitted
to encouraging Wingo and Nix to build the cross and burn it, as well as
driving to the victims' home on a separate occasion to threaten and intimidate
them. McKim also admitted to providing materials to Wingo and Nix for them to
build the cross.

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS179259+02-Sep-2009+PRN20090902

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