RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ) – A Virginia man pleaded guilty Wednesday, June 18 to federal hate crimes involving attempts to kill two Latino men and discharging a gun during a federal crime of violence, according to Department of Justice officials.
Prosecutors said Douglas Wayne Cornett, 58, of Ruther Glen, followed a box truck driven by one of the men to a gas station off Interstate 95 in Spotsylvania County. Cornett then asked the man’s friend how long they had been present in the United States.
After learning they had arrived within the last couple years, Cornett drew a handgun and fired six rounds, hitting both, according to court documents.
“Hate crimes driven by bias against national origin or any other protected characteristic are a direct assault on the principles of equality and justice that define our nation,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
Prosecutors say Cornett later confessed to a Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Deputy to shooting the men because of his perception of the victims’ origin of birth.
Cornett faces a mandatory 10-year sentence on the firearms violation and life imprisonment for the two hate crimes. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Thursday, November 13.
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