Wichita man sentenced for hate crimes against Black people, including minors

A man has been sentenced 80 months in prison on hate crimes charges. (Getty Images)

WICHITA — A judge sentenced a Wellington man to 80 months in prison Wednesday for threatening Black people with a gun, using racial slurs and making death threats, as well as violating the housing rights of a white woman by threatening her Black houseguests.

Court documents show that in July 2022, Austin Schoemann, who is white, had been drinking in his car at a Wichita QuickTrip when two Black minors entered the gas station. Schoemann proclaimed “white power,” then used his gun — which he will give up as part of his sentencing — and racial slurs to threaten the minors as they entered the building. While Schoemann continued to threaten them after they had exited, a Black woman attempted to intervene and calm Schoemann down. Schoemann then included her in the threats.

Earlier that month, the indictment showed that Schoemann, 31, had sent violent internet messages, such as “I’m going to get rid of every (racial slur) in this town.”

Threats like this were a pattern for Schoemann.

His plea agreement details that in December of 2021, Schoemann was in a month-long romantic relationship with a white woman. When the relationship ended, Schoemann believed that the woman was dating Black men and associating with Black people. In response, Schoemann intimidated and threatened any Black houseguests the woman had, and sent racially threatening messages to her, her family members and friends over the course of eight months after the relationship ended.

Schoemann moved into a home down the street from the woman, and he then stalked her and each houseguest who entered her home. When he believed a Black person was in her home, he would stand outside and yell racial slurs and threaten them. In June 2022, Schoemann mistakenly took the car of her mother for a Black man’s car.

Schoemann sent a message to her saying “You chose a (racial slur) over me. That’s disgusting.”

Schoemann sent her a photo of the car’s license plate and shattered the front windshield. He sent her a message saying “I am going to beat that (racial slur) to death and go to prison and not care after I pull all of his teeth out.”

After that incident, the woman got a restraining order. Schoemann was indicted and arrested in May 2023, then let out on bond. Schoemann’s Facebook banner remains a photo of the confederate flag.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Schoemann faced 63 to 84 months in prison. Without the plea, he could have faced a maximum sentence of 10 years on three counts and five years on two counts if found guilty.

“Perpetrators of hate crimes inflict pain upon victims in furtherance of a larger goal of breeding fear and divisiveness within our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Kate Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas encourages those who are victims of or witnesses to hate crimes to report these incidents to law enforcement.”