An Alabama man who once served as the Grand Cyclops for the Ku Klux Klan, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of burning a cross at the entrance to an African-American neighborhood, the Raw Story reports.
Steven Joshua Dinkle, 28, was indicted Wednesday on five counts, including obstruction of justice, in the incident that occurred on May 8, 2009, in the predominantly African-American neighborhood in Ozark, Ala. His mother, Pamela Morris, a former secretary for the local KKK, was also indicted on perjury charges for lying to the grand jury about the incident, the site says.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Dinkle and another man reportedly placed a cross and set it afire in Ozark with the goal of frightening and intimidating the residents.
Further, the indictment alleges that Dinkle obstructed justice by lying to local investigators about his role in the cross-burning and to federal investigators in 2012, the report shows. Dinkle reportedly told investigators he had ended his association with the Klan six months before the incident and denied knowing others involved with the crime.
The grand jury alleges that his mother lied on at least two separate occasions in her testimony. She reportedly lied about her son’s involvement with the cross-burning incident and about her own involvement with the hate group. She faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000 on each count of perjury, the Raw Story reports.
If convicted, Dinkle faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines for charges of conspiracy and criminal interference, according to the Raw Story. Additionally, he faces another maximum 10-year sentence for charges of the use of fire to commit a federal felony, and a 20-year maximum sentence and possible $250,000 for making false statements to local investigators. He also faces a maximum 5-year sentence and $250,000 fine for making false statements to the FBI.
Read more at the Raw Story.