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| Brian James Moudry |
A man was arrested, charged and convicted of arson related charges after deliberately burning a black family’s home, according to court proceedings in Illinois.
Now, a court has sentenced Brian James Moudry, 35, to the maximum 10 years in jail, according to the court proceedings.
The man was sentenced last week for setting fire to the home of a black family in 2007.
Moudry poured gasoline and set fire to the house of his neighbors at 4:00 am. Nine people were in the house, but luckily, they all managed to get out of the house safely.
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman said that Moudry should be grateful for the black lawyer who defended him. Gettleman said that MiAngel Cody defended him with such skill and compassion he now must realize that race does not matter.
"Everyone who enters this room is of the same race, the human race to try to deal with equality under the law," Gettleman said.
Moudry has a long history of mental illness and even beat a black prisoner with a combination lock in the Metropolitan Correctional Center after pleading guilty in January.
Cody said Moudry’s untreated schizophrenia, child abuse, and drunkenness, played a role in his decision to burn the house of his neighbors.
U.S. assistant Attorney Nancy DePodesta, however, still believed that the crime occurred because Moudry hated his neighbors. "This was an exceptionally despicable crime and was motivated by hatred," DePodesta said.
DePodesta said the sentence should send the message that "if you threaten someone because of their race, you will lose your right to live in a free society."