District Man Pleads Guilty Mid-Trial to Hate Crimes Charges

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 16, 2022

            WASHINGTON – Norman Wilson, 40, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today, mid-trial, to charges stemming from two assaults in which he targeted Hispanic individuals based on their race and/or national origin, announced United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves.  

            Wilson pleaded guilty to two counts of simple assault with a bias-related enhancement for each count. The guilty plea followed a day and half of trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  The Honorable Peter Krauthamer immediately sentenced Wilson to 270 days of suspended time with time served for one charge, and 200 days of suspended time with time served for the second charge. The judge also imposed 1 year of supervised probation for each count.

            Mr. Wilson assaulted the first victim on May 15, 2022, at the Dupont Circle Metro Station.  During this assault, Mr. Wilson targeted the victim, hit the victim with a metal object, and then made derogatory statements directed at the victim being Hispanic.  The second assault took place on May 22, 2022, when Mr. Wilson targeted a Hispanic victim inside of the Friendship Heights Metro Station, kicked the victim in the back while descending the escalator, followed the victim throughout the station, and assaulted the victim a second time, all the while making derogatory comments directed at the victim’s race and/or national origin.  After Mr. Wilson was arrested, he was interviewed by detectives from the Metropolitan Transit Police Department. During this interview, Mr. Wilson stated his beliefs that there are too many foreigners in America, they are not humble enough, and other similar xenophobic statements.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metro Transit Police Department, commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit Police Department.  He also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Christopher Lionette, Daphne Teresa Nelson, and Wanda Trice, as well as Victim/Witness Coordinator Maria Sanchez-Garcia.

            Finally, he commended the efforts of Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Goldstein and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Derbish, who prosecuted the case, and AUSA Bonnie Lindemann, who investigated the case.