A North Carolina man has been indicted on federal civil rights and firearms charges for allegedly threatening eight individuals due to their race, color, religion, and national origin. The indictment was unsealed in the Western District of North Carolina.
The charges stem from an incident on June 8 at Zambies Pizza in Charlotte, where Maurice Hopkins, 31, is accused of using a firearm to threaten the individuals. Count one accuses Hopkins of making threats based on race, color, religion, and national origin while the victims were at the restaurant. Count two alleges he aimed to intimidate them from exercising their housing rights. Count three involves carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
If convicted, Hopkins could face up to 10 years in prison for each civil rights charge and a mandatory minimum sentence for the firearms charge. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge after considering various guidelines and factors.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina, and Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office conducted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller for the Western District of North Carolina along with Trial Attorneys Daniel Grunert and Chloe Neely from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
It is important to note that an indictment is only an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.