Florida man found guilty of hate crime for racially motivated attack

TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida man who used his car to try to run a man and his family off the road has been found guilty of a racially motivated attack, the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI have announced.

A federal jury in Tampa, Florida, returned a guilty verdict against Jordan Patrick Leahy, 29, for a racially motivated attack against a Black man who was traveling down a public roadway with his family, the statement said.

At trial the government introduced evidence that on Aug. 8, 2021, Leahy came upon the victim, J.T., who was driving his daughter and girlfriend home from a family get-together. Leahy began threatening J.T., calling him racial slurs, and used his car in an attempt to force J.T. and his family off the road.

Leahy’s pursuit of J.T. and his family reportedly lasted nearly a mile and a half before Leahy sideswiped J.T. as J.T. attempted to evade the attack.

According to evidence presented, Leahy fled the accident scene but stopped at the next red light. J.T. pulled behind Leahy at the light, and Leahy got out of his car, stormed at J.T., and tried to assault him, again yelling racial slurs.

When officers from the Pinellas County Sherriff’s Office arrived on the scene, Leahy reportedly made numerous statements evidencing his biased motive, including telling the officers that Black people need to be kept “in their areas.”

“Across America, families must be able to freely travel our public streets without fear of being attacked because of race,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke.

“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 heinous racist beliefs.”

Leahy faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Leahy was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending sentencing.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlton Gammons for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys David Reese and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.