Two Maine men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to violate and for violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, by assaulting a black man in April.

According to the indictment, 34-year old Maurice Diggins and 27-year old Dusty Leo, both of Biddeford, Maine, were indicted on federal charges for willfully causing bodily injury to a black man in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven convenience store in Biddeford on April 15.

The indictment alleges that the victim was targeted because of his race.

The indictment went on to read that the defendants drove a truck into the 7-Eleven parking lot at a high rate of speed as the victim walked across the parking lot.

Diggins allegedly got out of the truck, blocked his entry to the store, circled him, turning the victim's back to the truck all while repeatedly calling the victim a racial slur.

Leo then was reported to have got out of the truck, approached him from behind and forcefully struck him in the head.

It is alleged that the victim ran away while the defendants followed him in the truck and continued to shout racial slurs to him.

If convicted, Leo and Diggins face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the hate crime charge and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge.

The two defendants were arrested on Friday and made their appearances in U.S. District Court in Portland on Monday.

 

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