A Wichita man has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges involving hate crimes and violations of housing rights.
The plea was entered by 30-year-old Austin Schoemann. He admitted that on July 27th, 2022, he brandished a gun and used racial slurs to threaten two Black children when they entered a convenience store, and he also threatened a Black adult who intervened to help the children. Schoemann also admitted that from January through August, 2022, he interfered with the federally-protected housing rights of a white woman by making threats to harm any Black people who visited her home. He admitted to sending messages and videos to the woman’s family members, repeating the threats he had made.
Schoemann pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with federally-protected activities, two counts of interstate threats and one count of interference with housing. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for October 16th, and under a plea agreement, he will face a penalty of 63 to 84 months in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division issued a statement saying that Schoemann “committed serious hate crimes when he used guns and death threats to terrorize two Black children and an adult who came to their aid.”
The case was investigated by Wichita police and the FBI Kansas City field office.
