A white man was arrested after he was accused of hurling racial slurs and threatening to kill his Black neighbor over a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Charles Allen Barnes, a 47-year-old resident of Lewiston, Maine, was charged with one count of violating the federal interstate threats statute, a Tuesday (September 12) press release reads.
According to an indictment, Barnes targeted the victim, identified as K.T., based on his race despite being his "close friend." Prosecutors claim the suspect sent a slur-riddled voice message, saying he was parked "outside a neighbor’s residence and would kill any Black person who emerged."
“Waiting for someone to step outside, and the first one who does is gonna die. Just like that. I don’t care if it’s her kid, or her, or her boyfriend," Barnes reportedly said, per the indictment. "I don’t care. I’m killing me a n*****.”
Law & Crime reported that Barnes has been venting about the case on Facebook, saying his life "has been hell":
"Ever since the story put out by Maine’s Attorney General [sic], came out about me, my life has been hell. Between consistent tampering with my car, harassment from a few customers, eviction, death threats … ect,” he wrote Monday. “Why don’t you call the police? Because someone can literally cut my brake lines and the cops won’t even write a basic report, they will just instantly accuse me of doing it myself to scam my, LIABILITY ONLY insurance that won’t cover it. Charged and Convicted are two separate things but no one cares.”
The 47-year-old faces a maximum of five years in prison if he's convicted of the charge.
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