Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Racially Motivated Shooting of Neighbor

Overview

• Jonathan Andrew Felkel pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for violating his Black neighbor’s housing rights.
• The case was prosecuted under 42 U.S.C. § 3631, a statute that criminalizes using force or threats to interfere with someone’s housing because of a protected trait.
• Felkel admitted he drove into the gated community, fired a gun, shouted a racialized threat at the victim and told investigators he wanted the neighbor to leave the area.
• The FBI’s Columbia Field Office and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department led the probe and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle Klein and Lamar Fyall with Trial Attorney Sarah Armstrong handled the prosecution.
• Justice Department officials said the sentence underscores federal enforcement of civil-rights protections for housing and may signal increased use of housing statutes in racially motivated cases.