COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina man is facing federal hate crime charges after a grand jury indictment on Wednesday.
The Columbia federal grand jury charged 34-year-old Jonathan Andrew Felkel with violating the housing rights of his Black neighbor and using a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence.
Court documents allege that on July 17, Felkel, while driving into the Richland County gated community where he and the victim lived, fired a gun and shouted, “You better keep running, boy!” at the victim, who was standing at the gate.
If convicted, Felkel faces up to 10 years in prison for the housing rights violation and an additional 10 years for the firearms charge.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Stirling for the District of South Carolina, and FBI Columbia Field Office Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore.
The FBI Columbia Field Office led the investigation into the incident.
