JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville man was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for committing two federal hate crimes by attacking two Black women with a gun in 2022.
Frederick Eugene Pierallini III, 27, pleaded guilty on July 6, 2023.
On Sept. 10, 2022, Pierallini went to a convenience store on Chaffee Road. He attempted to buy a cheese stick and a Slim Jim at the register, but his card was declined and he attempted to walk out of the store with unpaid merchandise. Pierallini returned scolding a victim for not knowing how to do her job and he directed racial slurs at her, according to prosecutors.
Pierallini left the store, retrieved a shotgun from his car and pointed it at the victim.. Victim 1 ran away in fear. Pierallini continued to use racial slurs throughout the encounter, the DOJ said.
On Sept. 12 on a University Boulevard sidewalk, Pierallini approached the second victim as she was sitting in her walker on the public sidewalk. He directed racial slurs at her and told her that she could not sit where she was, while also threatening to kill her. Investigators said he returned with a shotgun and fired a single shot. The victim was not hit by Pierallini’s shot, but was injured when she fell to the ground.
“The defendant is being held accountable for targeting two Black women with a gun on two separate days because of their race,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a press release. “No one in this country should have to live in fear that when they use public spaces or work at their job, they risk attack by someone who hates them because of the color of their skin. The Justice Department is committed to protecting Black people from racially-motivated violence. We will continue to be relentless in investigating and prosecuting individuals who threaten or commit unlawful acts of hate.”
“Hate crimes like these are not only attacks on the victims but are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community,” said Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to prioritize investigating civil rights violations and work together tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.”
