(CNN) An Indiana man who burned crosses, displayed swastikas and made signs with racist slurs was charged with a hate crime for intimidating his Black neighbor, the Department of Justice said this week. Shepherd Hoehn, 50, was also charged with two counts of unlawful weapons possession, the DOJ said. The intimidation began when his Black neighbor, who investigators did not name, was removing a tree from his own property in Lawrence, Indiana, the DOJ said. A construction crew came to Hoehn's neighbor's home in mid-June and began to remove the tree. Among his intimidation tactics, according to the DOJ: Burning a cross above the fence line facing his neighbor's property, displaying a swastika on the outer side of his fence and making a large sign with "anti-Black racial slurs" next to the swastika.

Source: CNN August 11, 2020 12:22 UTC