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Lake County man sentenced to six months for threats

Bay City News Services Bay City News Services Bay
Saturday October 28, 2000

Ewing interfered with fair housing rights for neighbor 

 

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Attorney's Office said today a Lake County man has been sentenced to six months in jail and six months of home detention for making racist threats against his Clearlake neighbor last year. 

U.S. District Court Judge Charles R. Breyer sentenced Gregory Ewing, 43, yesterday in San Francisco after he pleaded guilty to interfering with fair housing rights. Ewing will begin serving his prison term on Dec. 5. 

According to a U.S. Attorney's spokesman, Ewing yelled racist slurs and threatened his 68-year-old neighbor after she invited her grand daughter, her daughter's African American husband and their daughter to her home on May 11, 1999. 

Ewing admitted going to his neighbor's porch and shouting racial epithets as well as building a 9-foot, 4-inch cross on his lawn. He also threatened to kill his neighbor and burn the cross, according to prosecutors. 

The woman contacted the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People when Clearlake police failed to immediately respond. Police arrived after the NAACP contacted them. Ewing was arrested, released on bail and a restraining order was issued. Local charges were filed but dismissed, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. 

Ewing made more racist slurs on Aug. 3 during another visit by the neighbor's granddaughter and great-granddaughter, prosecutors say. 

On Oct. 14 Ewing threatened to burn his neighbor's house down and kill her following a visit by the NAACP representative. 

Ewing was arrested again, released on bail on Oct. 18 and another restraining order was issued.  

The NAACP then filed a complaint with federal authorities and the FBI began an investigation.