Defendant convicted of racist harassment of Governor’s employee
The Attorney General’s Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust (DCRPT) secured a historic guilty verdict in a felony hate crimes case, Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Thursday. A New Castle County jury convicted Defendant Matthew Gregg of Hate Crimes, Harassment, and Terroristic Threatening, for repeatedly verbally attacking a member of Gov. John Carney’s staff, who is an African-American woman, with repeated threats and racist/sexist slurs.
The verdict marks the first trial conviction for a felony hate crime by DCRPT, which enforces Hate Crimes law.
“It’s a disturbing fact that hate is alive and well in 2022, and I’m grateful to the jury, the victim, and our prosecutors for fighting back,” said Attorney General Jennings. “State employees engage with the public every day; that engagement matters, and our communities are stronger because of it. But we will not tolerate threats of any kind, least of all those colored by hate and ignorance. My thoughts are with the victim, who endured this invective for no reason except that she is a woman of color who chose public service. I’m grateful for her courage and for her willingness to testify at trial, and I’m grateful to the jury for hearing her voice and reaching a just verdict.”
Gregg will be sentenced at a date to be determined and faces a range of 0-4 years in prison. Deputy Attorneys General Nicole Mozee and David Skoranksi secured this conviction following an investigation by DCRPT and Capitol Police.
