Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime Charge in Washington

Randy Smith of Eugene, Oregon, pled guilty Tuesday to federal hate crime charges and making false statements to the FBI in connection with a 2018 assault of a Black man in Lynwood, Washington.

According to the Associated Press, in his plea agreement, Smith, 42, admitted he was a member of a white supremacist support group at the time of the assault.

As they walked into the bar, Smith gave a “Nazi salute” and wore clothing and patched identifying him as a member of a white supremacist group. Smith and the three others, Daniel Dorson of Oregon, Jason DeSimas of Washington, and Jason Stanley of Idaho, believed the DJ, identified only as T.S., to be disrespecting them.

According to a press release from the Department of Justice, Smith repeatedly punched T.S. and while others punched, stepped on, and stomped the man. They all yelled racial slurs towards T.S. during the assault.

Two bystanders attempted to intervene and help T.S. and stop the assault. Both were assaulted by members of the white supremacist group.

T.S. lost consciousness during the attack and suffered pain, bleeding and swelling in his eye, along with bruising to his back, chest, and legs.

Alongside pleading guilty to the federal hate crime charge, he also pled guilty to making false statements in an attempt to cover up the assault. He claimed he did not remember anyone calling T.S. a racial slur before, during, or after the attack. Smith claimed his knuckles were bloodied during his arrest, but in fact they were bloodied from the assault.

DeSimas and Dorson previously pled guilty to federal hate crime charges. Smith will be sentenced on November 18. The hate crime charge carries a maximum of a ten year prison sentence. The false statement charge carries a maximum sentence of five years.