Michigan Man Pleads Guilty of Racial Hate Crimes

A Michigan man has pleaded guilty to two hate crime charges for intimidating people from protesting for Black Lives Matter.

61-year-old Kenneth Pilon admitted to calling 9 Starbucks stores and telling employees who answered to convey specific racial threats to other employees wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts, and threatening to kill black people. He also pleaded guilty to leaving a noose inside of a vehicle along with a note which read “An accessory to be worn with your BLM t-shirt…”

The case was investigated by the FBI.

“Hate crimes of this nature are meant to not only threaten the victim, but to intimidate an entire community. Because of this wide-ranging impact, hate crime investigations are among the FBI’s highest priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these crimes and to seek justice for the victims and their communities.”

Pilon’s sentencing is set for March 23, 2023.