Man Sentenced for Burning African-American Church

[Blue_Tires]

A man accused of burning an African-American church in Springfield, Mass., the morning after President Barack Obama's election in 2008 was sentenced to nine years in prison on Monday. In 2008, Benjamin Haskell burned the Macedonia Church of God in Christ, a predominately African-American church.

Haskell will also pay over $1.7 million in restitution for his role in the crime, including $123,570.25 to the Macedonia Church, as part of his punishment, according to the Boston FBI.

Haskell, 24, of Springfield, entered a guilty plea to conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten, and intimidate the mostly African-American parishioners of the Macedonia Church.
The FBI said in a statement about the sentencing that Haskell and his co-conspirators agreed to burn down, and did burn down, the church’s newly constructed building for religious services. It was 75 percent complete at the time of the fire, but was almost completely destroyed. Only the metal superstructure and a small part of the front corner survived.

“The burning of the Macedonia Church because of racial hatred and intolerance was a vicious attack on one of our most cherished freedoms—to worship in the religion of our choice safely and without fear of discrimination,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Carmen Ortiz in the FBI's statement. “The successful investigation, prosecution, and punishment of those who committed this hateful act is a clear statement that law enforcement will do all in its power to protect our citizens’ civil rights.”
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/45351/

[bliss_eternal]

1. This has to set some sort of precedent...

...given the many AA churches burned, damaged, desecrated through the US's violent, dark history of jim crow. :cry: :( :scared:
I won't even get into the many stories of Jewish temples (and other places of worship), specific to minority groups that were also privy to such attacks. I applaud that for once, the culprit is being held accountable with a sentence and demand for monetary restitution (whether he ever pays it or not). ;)