(WWJ) A man arrested last year for a violent attack at a southeastern Michigan beach has been indicted for federal hate crimes.
The U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday that 42-year-old Lee James Mouat, Jr. of Newport, Michigan, is charged with two counts of violating 18 U.S.C. § 249 by willfully causing bodily injury to a Black teenager and attempting to cause bodily injury to another Black teen through the use of a dangerous weapon — because of the teenagers’ race.
Mouat was previously charged with the former count by criminal complaint in federal district court on Oct. 13, 2020.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said that the assault happened on the evening of June 6, 2020, after a group of white people and a group of Black people exchanged words as they were swimming at Sterling State Park in Frenchtown Township.
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Mouat confronted several Black teens, including the victim. It's alleged that he repeatedly used racial slurs and said that Black people had no right to use the public beach.
Mouat then struck one of the teens in the face with a bike lock, knocking out several of the victim’s teeth and fracturing his jaw, according to the indictment, and then tried to strike another teen with the lock.
The injured victim, identified as an 18-year-old Monroe man, suffered serious facial injuries during the assault, and was hospitalized.
This case is being investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Carlson of the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Mouat faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count.