A man from Ruther Glen, Virginia, was sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty to two hate crime charges involving attempted murder and a firearms violation. The sentencing took place in Richmond federal court.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, commented on the verdict: “As our nation recovers from recent political violence, today’s verdict is a welcome reminder that terror motivated by hate will not be tolerated. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and vigorously prosecute those who choose brutality and aggression over civility and reason.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated: “No one in this country should be hunted down and shot at because of who they are or where they come from. This sentence reflects the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting communities from hate-fueled violence and to hold accountable those who attack others based on prejudice.”
According to court documents, Douglas Wayne Cornett followed a box truck driven by an adult Latino male identified as O.G. into a Sheetz gas station along Interstate 95 in Spotsylvania County. Cornett then questioned J.M., another adult Latino male and friend of O.G., about how long O.G. had been in the United States. After learning that O.G. had arrived within the past two years, Cornett drew a handgun and fired six shots, hitting O.G. three times and J.M. once. He later told a Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Deputy that he shot them because of their perceived national origin.
The investigation was led by the Richmond Field Office of the FBI with assistance from the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Additional information can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia or through PACER under Case No. 3:25-cr-91.
