Wichita man sentenced for issuing race-based death threats

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A 31-year-old Wichita man was sentenced on Wednesday to 80 months in prison for threatening multiple Black people in and around the Wichita area and for interfering with the housing rights of a white woman because he believed that she was dating and associating with Black people.

Austin Schoemann previously pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with federally protected activities, two counts of interstate threats and one count of interference with housing.

The U.S. District Attorney’s Office said Schoemann admitted that, in July 2022, he brandished a firearm and used racial slurs to threaten two Black juveniles while they were entering a QuikTrip and that he also used his firearm to threaten a Black adult who intervened to support the juveniles.

Schoemann also acknowledged that, from January 2022 through August 2022, he interfered with the federally protected housing rights of a white woman by making threats to hurt or kill any Black people who visited her home. Schoemann further admitted that he sent videos and messages to the woman’s family members and others in which he repeatedly threatened to shoot and kill Black people.

The FBI Kansas City Field Office and Wichita Police investigated the case.

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