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A federal judge sentenced four white supremacists to prison for attacking a Black DJ outside a Seattle-area bar over four years ago, according to The Daily Herald. Judge Richard Jones called the attack on Tyrone Smith that of a "modern day unhooded KKK.”
Jason DeSimas, of Tacoma, Washington, and Jason Stanley, of Boise, Idaho, accepted a plea deal and were sentenced to four years. Randy Smith, of Eugene, Oregon, got a 3.5-year prison sentence, and Daniel Dorson, of Corvallis, Oregon, received 2.5 years. They were also ordered to pay nearly $171,000 in restitution to cover lost wages and medical bills.
On December 7, 2018, the four men traveled to Lynnwood, Washington to celebrate Martyr's Day, a far-right holiday dedicated to the 1984 death of neo-Nazi Robert Jay Matthews. They met up with other white supremacists and went to Rec Room Bar and Grill shortly after midnight, according to prosecutors. They wore jackets with patches bearing their racist beliefs, and some even had tattoos depicting swastikas.
At some point during the night, Stanley messed with Tyrone Smith's DJ equipment, prompting the Black man to shove him away. That's when Stanley and others surrounded the victim and started kicking, punching, and stomping on him, prosecutors said. They also attacked people trying to intervene.
Rick Collodi, the FBI’s special agent leading Seattle's field office, said the four defendants initially tried covering up the fact they were white supremacists. They ended up getting convicted for committing a hate crime and making false statements in December 2020.
“The four defendants admitted to being members of a white supremacist group,” Collodi said. “While they have the right to believe what they want, they do not have the right to commit a crime.”
Smith said his life is forever changed after the vicious attack. He described himself as an outgoing person who DJ'd with his friends for fun. Now he struggles with anxiety and uses a cane to walk.
“As we can all see, it’s been a long road for me,” Smith told reporters outside the courthouse on Friday, January 27. “But I had enough courage to come down and make sure this process was handled and justice was actually served.”
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