BROOKLYN, NY – Today, Aaron Richard, a 33-year-old Staten Island man, has been sentenced to up to four years in prison after pleading guilty to third-degree assault as a hate crime. The incident occurred on July 8, 2022, outside a deli in Flatbush, where Richard assaulted two people while shouting anti-gay slurs.
According to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Richard approached a 22-year-old man he knew and another person, shouting homophobic slurs and demanding they leave the area. Richard then proceeded to strike both victims with a metal object, causing lacerations to their faces and hands.
District Attorney Gonzalez stated that hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community have surged nationwide, and his office will not tolerate such violence in Brooklyn. He emphasized that today’s sentence sends a strong message that those who commit hate crimes will face serious consequences.