One of the murderers from the George Floyd incident and riots was sentenced today;
https://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/rochester-man-gets-10-years-in-fatal-pawn-shop-arson/article_a7cf296f-fbd3-572a-b91a-5bf9fb6ea873.htmlhttps://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/rochester-man-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-minneapolis-arson-that-killed-another-man26-year-old Montez Terriel Lee was convicted of felony arson for the murder of 30-year-old Oscar Lee Stewart
Lee was both seen on video pouring accelerant on the Max It Pawn Shop during the riots and lighting it on fire, as well as bragging on social media about having burned down the pawn shop. While reports of someone trapped in the pawn shop were made on the day of the riots, the body of Stewart wasn't found in the rubble until 2 months later. Even though the mandatory sentencing guideline for the crime of arson resulting in death is a minimum of 20 years in prison, judge Wilhelmina M. "Mimi" Wright, an Obama appointee, granted him a
downwards departure and gave him only 10 years in prison. Even though he committed a murder during a felony, a clear example of third degree murder under Minnesota and federal statutes, the
prosecutors declined to charge him with murder and instead treated it as a sole arson count;
Quote
“I was hoping to be another voice added to the cry for change. I wanted to be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem. Though I don’t stand by my actions, I stand by my reasons behind them,” Lee said citing the deaths of Black people because racial profiling and the demonization of Black skin.
In written arguments, prosecutors requested a 144-month sentence stating that “the Court’s sentence must account for the fact that Mr. Lee’s crime took Oscar Stewart’s life.”
Stewart’s family made no statement during the hearing, which was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez said in court Friday that the evidence was clear Lee did not intend to hurt anybody and that “his reasons in this case for setting that fire matter.”
Both in his written arguments and in court, Calhoun-Lopez cited Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words saying “we’ve got to see that a riot is the language of the unheard.” Calhoun-Lopez said he believed that Lee was engaging in King’s words.
A restitution request of $842 was made by Stewart’s family to cover the cost of his cremation, according to Calhoun-Lopez. No request for restitution was made by the pawn shop.
Some justice, for some.
This post was edited by Goomshill on Jan 14 2022 06:38pm