The Justice Department today announced that John Perry
Taylor IV, 34, from Charleston, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand
jury in the Southern District of West Virginia on a charge of violating the
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
The indictment alleges that on or about the evening of Oct.
7, 2017, and into Oct. 8, 2017, in the Southern District of West Virginia,
Taylor willfully caused bodily injury to a woman, A.P. The indictment alleges
that Taylor caused bodily injury to A.P. using a dangerous weapon because of
A.P.’s actual and perceived sexual orientation. Specifically, Taylor made
derogatory comments regarding A.P.’s actual and perceived sexual orientation
and used a glass bottle to hit A.P. multiple times on her head, causing her to
suffer a laceration, bruising, and pain.
If convicted, Taylor faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in
prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct,
not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and is being prosecuted by Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney
Christine M. Siscaretti and Assistant United States Attorney Gabe Wohl.
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