The self-proclaimed neo-Nazi who rammed his car into a crowd of protesters during a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., killing a woman, pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges in Charlottesville federal court Wednesday.
Ohio resident James Alex Fields Jr., 21, pleaded guilty to 29 federal charges as part of a plea agreement. As part of the deal, a federal charge that could have landed him the death penalty was dropped.
Fields killed Heather Heyer, 32, when he slammed his car into a group of demonstrators who were protesting the far-right “Unite the Right” rally in August 2017. In addition to killing Heyer, Fields’ violent action injured dozens of others.
President Trump drew controversy for his remarks following the incident, saying “both sides” were to blame for the violence.
Fields had previously been convicted of first-degree murder and other charges, including aggravated malicious wounding and hit and run, during a December jury trial. The jury recommended a sentence of life in prison, plus 419 years for the state charges.
[Related: Virginia teenager arrested after allegedly threatening ‘ethnic cleansing’ of high school]
Fields also faces a maximum sentence of life in prison when he is sentenced federally, which is scheduled for July.
[Also read: GOP lawmaker claims FBI said Russian interference played a role in Charlottesville]
