A Florida man was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for committing two federal hate crimes by attacking two Black women with a gun, officials stated.
According to authorities, Frederick Eugene Pierallini III, 27, previously pleaded guilty to these crimes on July 6, 2023.
(News Report 2023)
“The violent assaults committed against these two women because of their race are intolerable,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “There is no place in our society for such heinous acts. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals who target individuals and communities because of their race, ethnicity or beliefs.”
“Hate crimes like these are not only attacks on the victims but are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community,” said Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
On Sept. 10, 2022, Pierallini went to a convenience store in Jacksonville, Florida.
Victim 1 was working there as a clerk at the register. Pierallini attempted to buy snacks at the register, but his card was declined. He then attempted to walk out of the store with unpaid merchandise.
Pierallini ultimately returned, scolding Victim 1 for not knowing how to do her job and making racial slurs against her. Pierallini left the store, retrieved a shotgun from his car, pointed it at Victim 1, and cocked it by pulling the slide back to open the chamber and loaded a bullet into it.
Victim 1 ran away in fear.
Pierallini continued to use racial slurs throughout the encounter.
Two days later, on Sept. 12, 2022, Pierallini approached Victim 2 as she was sitting in her walker on the public sidewalk. He directed racial slurs at her and told her that she could not sit where she was.
Pierallini also threatened to kill Victim 2. He then left, returned with a shotgun, and fired a single shot. Victim 2 sustained injuries when she fell to the ground in response, but Pierallini’s shot did not hit her.
The FBI Jacksonville Field Office and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Washington for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.