The 29-year-old was convicted of a federal hate crime on Wednesday in Tampa, Florida over an altercation from August 2021 in which the US Attorney’s Office accused Leahy of targeting the other man because of his “race and color.” The victim is only referred to as JT in all court documents and was traveling with his girlfriend and 4-year-old daughter at the time of the incident. TikTok/Facebook

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According to the Justice Department, Leahy “began threatening JT, calling him a racist traitor and used his car in an attempt to force JT and his family off the road.” According to the Tampa Bay Times, he was also accused of pretending to “shoot” at the other vehicle and giving a Nazi salute, before later side-swiping JT and running away. JT, however, caught Leahy at a red light, with prosecutors saying at that point “Leahy got out of his car, lunged at JT and attempted to attack him, again shouting racial slurs.” NBC News cited court documents that said JT is “a practicing mixed martial artist who was able to quickly choke Leahy until he was unconscious and restrained him until the police arrived.” Other reports say he kept Leahy in “case.” The Justice Department’s statement said that when officers from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene, Leahy continued to make racist comments — and is accused of “telling the officers that black people should be kept ‘in their area.’ After being found guilty, he now faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Leahy will remain in US Military custody until sentencing. L.A.P.D

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“Across America, families should be able to walk freely on our public streets without fear of being attacked because of race,” Assistant Attorney General Clark said in a statement. “This verdict should send a strong message that the Department of Justice remains firmly committed to prosecuting, to the fullest extent of the law, those who would use violence to enforce reprehensible racist beliefs.” “No one should be targeted, threatened, intimidated or attacked because of their race,” added US Attorney Handberg. “The defendant in this case acted on his bigoted beliefs and put the safety of an entire family and others at risk. We and our local, state and federal law enforcement partners will not tolerate such behavior in our community.” “Hate crimes are not just an attack on one person, they are an attack on entire communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Walker. “We want to assure the public that the FBI will work diligently to investigate crimes driven by hate and bigotry. We encourage anyone who believes their civil rights have been violated to report it to the FBI.” Getty

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