Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - The Justice Department announced Tuesday that a federal grand jury in the Western District of Oklahoma returned a two-count indictment charging two men with committing hate crimes.
The indictment alleges that on June 22, 2019, Brandon Killian and Devan Johnson, aiding and abetting each other, willfully caused bodily injury to two victims because of the perceived or actual race of one of the victims, who is a Black man. The victims are identified in the indictment only as J.C. and M.W. The assaults occurred in the parking lot of the Brickhouse Saloon, in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
If convicted, Killian and Johnson each face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Robert Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Oklahoma City FBI Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Barry of the Western District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Avner Shapiro of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.