A Michigan man was charged with hate crimes for allegedly using nooses and written notes to intimidate members of Black Lives Matter.
Kenneth Pilon, 61, was charged on Wednesday with “willfully intimidating and attempting to intimidate citizens from engaging in lawful speech and protests in support of Black Lives Matter.” The man currently faces six counts of federally protected activities, which “prohibits willful injury, intimidation, or interference, or attempt to do so, by force or threat of force of any person or class of persons,” according to the FBI.
Pilon called nine different Starbucks stores in Michigan on June 14, 2020, and said to tell the Starbucks workers wearing BLM shirts that “the only good [N-word] is a dead [N-word],” according to a Justice Department press release.
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Pilon also left four nooses in parking lots alongside notes that read, “An accessory to be worn with your ‘BLM’ t-shirt. Happy Protesting!” according to the DOJ.
The messages began after Starbucks announced it would provide 250,000 BLM T-shirts to employees if they wanted to wear them during their shifts.
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The incident drew the FBI’s attention after Regina Simon and her husband found the noose on their vehicle, according to NBC News. The family was targeted after Pilon saw a “Black Lives Matter” sign in her yard, Simon said. They found the noose and note the next day when the husband went out to get coffee. The couple photographed the noose and sent it to the NAACP, which got the FBI involved.
