Brothers accused of beating up and urinating on a homeless man indicted on hate crime charges
The two brothers from South Boston who are accused of beating up and urinating on a homeless man have been indicted on felony hate crime charges, the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Scott Leader, 38, and Steve Leader, 30, were arrested on August 19 by state police after they allegedly punched, kicked, and urinated on a 58-year-old homeless man near the JFK/UMass MBTA station because they thought he was an immigrant. One of the brothers repeatedly beat the man with a metal pole, according to the DA’s office.
The DA’s office said that while at the police barracks, Scott Leader allegedly made incriminating statements — saying he and his brother had “tuned up’’ an “illegal immigrant’’ and that their actions were justified because the man was Hispanic and homeless.
Previous reports said one of the brothers allegedly referenced Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, telling police, “Donald Trump was right, all these illegals need to be deported.’’
The brothers were charged with civil rights violations while causing serious bodily injury, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in state prison. They were also both charged with assault and battery for the purposes of intimidation causing bodily injury, two counts each for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and two counts each of assault and battery.
The next court date for the brothers is December 9.
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