TENNESSEE – A federal grand jury indicted a Florida man for his role in a cross-burning incident in front of an interracial family’s home in Minor Hill, Tennessee in 2012, officials stated.
The indictment charges Timothy Flanagan, 33, formerly of Giles County, Tennessee, with one count of conspiracy to violate housing rights, one count of criminal interference with the right to fair housing and one count of using fire to commit a federal felony, officials said.
On April 30, 2012, Flanagan conspired with others to threaten, intimidate and interfere with an interracial couple’s enjoyment of their housing rights, the indictment states.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Giles County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the indictment, Flanagan and two other individuals concocted a plan to burn a cross in the yard of an interracial couple who had recently had a baby.
The conspirators constructed a wooden cross, purchased diesel fuel and then covered the cross in a diesel-fuel-soaked cloth. The conspirators then drove the cross to the victims’ residence, placed the cross in the driveway and ignited it, the indictment stated.
Flanagan and his co-conspirators allegedly chose to burn the cross at the victims’ house because of their race, as well as the race of their infant child.
Flanagan is presumed innocent until proven guilty.