Man Indicted, Hate Crime, Firearm Charges Wednesday — South Carolina Man Indicted on Hate Crime and Firearm Charges | United States Justice Department.
announcement South Carolina Man Indicted on Hate Crime and Firearm Charges Wednesday, December 17, 2025 Share Facebook X LinkedIn Email For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs A federal grand jury in Columbia, South Carolina returned an indictment charging Jonathan Andrew Felkel, 34, with violating the housing rights of his black neighbor, J.M., and for using a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence.court filings state, on July 17, Felkel, while driving into the gated community where
both he and J.M. was standing at the gate to the community.If convicted, Felkel carries a maximum potential penalty of ten years in prison on the housing charge, and an additional ten years in prison on the firearms charge.Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Stirling for the District of South Carolina; and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore of the FBI Columbia Field Office made the announcement.The FBI Columbia Field Office investigated the case.Assistant U.S. lived, fired a gun and shouted
at J.M., “You better keep running, boy!” while J.M. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Attorneys Elle Klein and Lamar Fyall of the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Sarah Armstrong and Special Legal Counsel Mark Blumberg of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. Updated December 17, 2025 Topic Civil Rights Components Civil Rights Division Civil Rights – Criminal Section Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) USAO – South Carolina announcement Number: 25-1199.