Man Charged With Federal Hate Crime In Anti-Gay Assault At Amazon Facility

WASHINGTON -- A man arrested last year after allegedly attacking a gay co-worker at an Amazon fulfillment center in Virginia is now facing a federal hate crimes charge.

Local police arrested James William Hill III, a 34-year-old from Chester, Virginia, in May and charged him with misdemeanor assault after he allegedly beat a co-worker at the Amazon shipping facility in Chesterfield. Federal authorities identified the victim only as "C.T." In an interview with GayRVA after the attack, the victim said Hill hit him three to five times in the packing department and that he received medical attention as blood was streaming down his face.

Hill was reportedly fired immediately after the attack, and an Amazon representative said at the time that the company was "appalled" by Hill's behavior.

Federal court records show that Hill was under court supervision for a 2006 charge of being a drug user and felon in possession of a firearm. Hill was sentenced in 2007 to over four years in federal prison followed by supervised release. But Hill failed to mention his police contact when he was arrested for the assault, and an arrest warrant was issued in June. The following month, Hill was sentenced to 60 days in federal custody for violating the terms of his probation by failing to notify a probation officer of his arrest within 72 hours.

Local prosecutors indicated in August that they would not pursue the case in Chesterfield General District Court. Virginia's hate crimes statutes do not include crimes based on a victim's sexual orientation, and an effort to expand the hate crimes law died in a state Senate committee last year.

If convicted, Hill could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on the federal hate crimes charge.