A Bloomington man has been convicted of painting a “KKK” on an Iowa teen's car.
According to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, a jury in Waterloo, Iowa, has convicted Gary Shelton, 56, of third-degree criminal mischief.
The charge was elevated to a felony because the jury found the crime was committed in violation of individual rights, effectively making it a hate crime, according to a media report.
Prosecutors said Shelton targeted the car in a parking lot at a hotel where he was staying because the vehicle had the message "Black Lives Matter" on the back window.
This happened in June of 2020, days after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked a racial justice movement across the country.
The car belonged to a Black teen from Waterloo who was at the hotel for a high school graduation celebration.
Shelton denied the allegations during the trial. He could face up to five years in prison.
A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
