SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 16, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A former Draper resident faces federal hate crime charges alleging he used a racial slur and a stun cane against a man who had moved into his neighborhood.
The indictment, by the Utah Chapter of the Department of Justice, charges Mark Porter, 58, with ” … using force and the threat of force to injure, intimidate and interfere with an African American man because of his race after moving in nearby.”
According to a statement released by the DOJ Utah Chapter, allegations are that while living in Utah, Porter ” … shouted racial slurs at the victim and his 7-year-old son, then struck the victim with a stun cane. The indictment further alleges that the stun cane is a dangerous weapon, and that the victim suffered bodily injury.”
Should he be convicted of the civil rights charge, Porter faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Porter was arrested in Arizona, where he now resides.
