A grand jury in Virginia has charged several persons on felony counts for carrying blazing torches with the intent to intimidate, nearly six years after a sizable gathering of white supremacists in Charlottesville erupted in deadly confrontations with counterprotesters.
The indictments relate to an incident on August 11, 2017, according to a news release from the Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. At that time, a group of torches-wielding white supremacists marched across the University of Virginia campus, some of them yelling, “Jews will not replace us.”
Commonwealth’s Attorney James Hingeley did not say in the release how many people have been indicted and did not immediately return a call and email seeking comment on Tuesday. According to electronic court records, the indictments against three people have been unsealed, including William Zachary Smith, of Nacona, Texas; Tyler Bradley Dykes, of Bluffton, South Carolina; and Dallas Medina, of Ravenna, Ohio.
Each is charged with a single count of burning an object with the intent of intimidating a person or group of people. The charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.
Smith’s attorney, Cody Villalon, declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday. Dykes and Medina do not have the name of any attorneys listed in electronic court records.
