Jonathan Felkel pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime for attacking his Black neighbor with a gun and racial slurs in 2025.

Jonathan Felkel, 34, of Columbia, has agreed to plead guilty to a federal hate crime for allegedly firing a gun and shouting racial slurs at his Black neighbor, Jarvis McKenzie, in a gated Richland County neighborhood in July 2025. The incident, which targeted McKenzie’s housing rights based on race, led to a federal indictment in December 2025. Felkel faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release. The case highlights federal enforcement of civil rights protections in housing, especially amid South Carolina’s lack of a statewide hate crime law.