Idaho man indicted for federal hate crime after allegedly driving car at LGBTQ residents
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The following is a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office (Idaho).
BOISE — A federal grand jury in Boise returned an indictment on Jan. 10, charging an Idaho man with a hate crime.
The indictment alleges that on Oct. 12, Matthew Alan Lehigh, 31, attempted to cause bodily injury to two people in Boise by driving his car at them. This assault, the indictment alleges, was motivated by the actual and perceived sexual orientation of the victims.
Boise Police apprehended Lehigh, and the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed state charges against Lehigh.
If convicted of the federal charges, Lehigh faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho and Special Agent in Charge Dennis W. Rice of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office made the announcement. The Boise Police Department and FBI Salt Lake City Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Horwitz for the District of Idaho and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.