A Minnesota man has been charged with federal hate crime offenses for an alleged assault on a Black man outside a bar. U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger announced the indictment of Justin Anthony Kudla, 35, which was unsealed recently.
The indictment alleges that on or around February 3, 2024, Kudla used force or threats to injure and intimidate the victim, identified as Victim 1 in the document, due to the victim's race, color, religion, and/or national origin. It further accuses Kudla of causing bodily injury to Victim 1 because of the victim's actual and perceived race.
Kudla faces charges including one count of interference with federally protected activities and one count of hate crime. He appeared before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster in U.S. District Court for his initial hearing. If found guilty, he could face up to 10 years in prison for each offense and a fine reaching $250,000.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office led the investigation with support from the Belle Plaine Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gilead for the District of Minnesota alongside Trial Attorneys Katherine G. DeVar and Briana M. Clark from the Civil Rights Division.
It is important to note that an indictment is only an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.