KANSAS
Omar Cantero Martinez, 31, and Armando Sotelo, 24, both of Dodge City, Kansas were charged with federal hate crimes for attacking three Somali men, according to officials.
The indictment, which was unsealed Wednesday, charges Martinez and Sotelo with three counts of causing bodily injury to a victim because of actual and perceived race and national origin.
The charges are filed under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which criminalizes willfully causing bodily injury to any person because of that person’s actual or perceived race, color, religion or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
The indictment alleges that on June 19, 2015, Martinez and Sotelo caused bodily injury to three Somali men who were legally in the United States and residing in Dodge City. The attackers are alleged to have used a broken glass bottle in the assault against two of the Somali men, officials said.
Each charge carries carries a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, officials.
The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
To read the indictment click here: Justice Department