Belle Plaine, MN (trfnews.i234.me) – On February 3, 2024, at approximately 2:12 a.m., an incident occurred on Meridian Street in Belle Plaine, Minnesota, involving 35-year-old resident Justin Anthony Kudla. Kudla allegedly used force to injure a Black male individual, identified in court documents as Victim 1, due to the victim’s race.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged Kudla with one count of interference with federally protected activities and one count of a hate crime. These charges pertain to violations of federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin.
According to the indictment, the assault resulted in the victim sustaining skull fractures and a critical brain injury. Witness statements indicate that prior to the physical altercation, Kudla directed a racial slur at the victim, leading to a confrontation outside the bar. Subsequently, Kudla allegedly struck the victim, rendering him unconscious.
Kudla made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court and is currently detained without bail. A detention hearing is scheduled for Thursday. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count, along with fines up to $250,000.
I’m Chris Harper, reporting for trfnews.i234.me