A 27-year-old Ohio man admitted guilt on Wednesday to a federal hate crime, acknowledging that he assaulted an Asian American college student in 2021 and targeted him because of his race amid the Covid-19 pandemic, as stated in a news release by US prosecutors.
Darrin Johnson faces a potential sentence of nearly two years in prison for the attack at the University of Cincinnati, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
US Attorney Kenneth L. Parker emphasized, “I remain steadfast in the belief that hate has no place in our society. We will continue to use our federal law enforcement authority to investigate and prosecute hate crimes like the one committed by Johnson.”
There was no immediate response from Johnson’s attorney to CNN’s request for comment.
The incident occurred during a surge in reported anti-Asian bias incidents prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. Johnson approached the victim in August 2021, attributing blame for Covid-19 to him and threatening his life. He used derogatory language, telling the victim to “Go back to your country” and accusing him of bringing the “kung flu” – a racist term for Covid-19.
Following the verbal assault, Johnson physically attacked the victim, causing him to fall and sustain head injuries after hitting a parked car’s bumper. He continued the assault until two bystanders intervened and restrained him. The victim suffered severe injuries, including facial lacerations and a head injury.
A federal grand jury indicted Johnson in November 2022 for his actions. In light of his guilty plea, prosecutors recommended a sentence of 22 months in prison.
Additionally, Johnson had previously pleaded guilty in October 2021 to state charges of misdemeanor assault and criminal intimidation, resulting in a 360-day sentence in a county jail.
