OHIO
A federal judge Tuesday sentenced Izmir Koch, 34, of Huber Heights, Ohio, to 30 months in prison for beating a man he believed to be Jewish outside of a Cincinnati restaurant, according to officials.
Koch was convicted after a trial on Dec. 17, 2018, of one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of making a false statement to the FBI.
On Feb. 4, 2017, the Defendant and his companions were heard yelling “I want to kill all of the Jews” and “I want to stab the Jews” outside a Cincinnati restaurant.
The victim represented to Koch that he was Jewish, after which Koch began punching and kicking him. A number of other people joined in the assault.
The victim was left with a broken facial bone and bruised ribs. The victim was not in fact Jewish, but was with friends and family members who were.
After the incident, Koch, accompanied by his attorney, spoke voluntarily with the FBI. Koch falsely told the FBI that he was not involved in the assault and that he made no derogatory comments about Jews.
“Individuals should be able to live without fear of attack or intimidation based on their religious beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division.
“Hate-fueled violent crimes ripple through communities, making entire groups feel unsafe and unwelcome, spawning fear and anger,” U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman said. “That is why investigating and prosecuting hate crimes is such a high priority. Every community — every person — is entitled to the equal protection of the laws.”
DOJ NOTED:
This case was investigated by the Cincinnati Division of the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Gaffney of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Dana Mulhauser of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
For more information about Department of Justice’s work to combat and prevent hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes: a one-stop portal with links to Department of Justice hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other organizations and individuals.