Massachusetts driver who rammed Asian man into ditch sentenced for hate crime

John Sullivan, of Quincy, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for committing a federal hate crime. Sullivan previously pleaded guilty to using his vehicle to intentionally harm an Asian American family in 2022.

What happened: On Dec. 2, 2022, Sullivan yelled at a Vietnamese family, which included three children, to “go back to China” and threatened to kill them outside a post office in Quincy. He drove his car into George Ngo, 38, causing Ngo to land on the hood and remain there as Sullivan drove about 200 feet (about 61 meters). After stopping, Sullivan accelerated again, hitting Ngo a second time and causing him to fall into a construction ditch. Ngo survived the attack but suffered from multiple injuries, including a concussion, a fractured shoulder and torn ligaments. Sullivan was arrested and charged shortly after the incident.
Commitment to justice: The Justice Department and the FBI emphasized their commitment to prosecuting hate crimes. In a statement, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts said, “Every single man, woman and child living in Massachusetts has a fundamental right to be free from acts of hate and violence. The conduct here is truly despicable, and this office will dedicate whatever resources are needed to vigorously prosecute these types of hate crimes… These violent acts of hate spread fear throughout our community and will never be tolerated.”

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