Staten Island Man Pleads Guilty to Election Night Hate Crime Attacks

On January 26, Brian Carranza plead guilty to charges of conspiring to assault African Americans for his participation in a series of hate crimes in Staten Island, NY on November 4.

The men reportedly harassed several African Americans and a Hispanic man because of their political support for Obama and physically attacked three others. The final victim was mistaken for an African American and spent several weeks in a coma after being hit by their car.

Two of the defendants, Ralph Nicoletti and Michael Contreras, have plead not guilty and will face federal hate crime conspiracy charges. The third defendant, Bryan Garaventa, pled guilty as well.  If convicted, Carranza may face up to 10 years in prison.

“The brutal Election Night assaults are a tragic reminder of the dangers of racism and hatred. Even as we have come so far as a nation in overcoming racism, it was disturbing to wake up and hear of a vicious hate crime,” said Joel J. Levy, New York regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.