Idaho man pleads guilty to white supremacist attack at Lynnwood bar

A man from Idaho has pleaded guilty to a hate crime committed at a Lynnwood, Washington, bar in 2018.

Jason Stanley, 46, has pleaded guilty to a violent hate crime, and for making false statements to law enforcement officials, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.

“Mr. Stanley and the other subjects in this case attacked and injured the victim based on his race,” Special Agent in Charge Richard A. Collodi of the FBI Seattle Field Office said in a statement. “Until all citizens in Washington state feel safe from threats and violence based on their race, ethnicity, gender or beliefs, the FBI will continue our commitment to investigating federal hate crimes and protecting civil rights.”

Stanley is the fourth and final member of the group of attackers to plead guilty to the racist assault. The other three include: Randy Smith, 42, of Oregon; Jason DeSimas, 47, of Tacoma, Wash.; and Daniel Dorson of Corvallis, Ore.

According to the Department of Justice, Stanley, Smith, DeSimas, and Dorson went to the Rec Room Bar and Grill on Dec. 8, 2018. Early reports on the incident state that the group showed up at the bar displaying white supremacist symbols, made Nazi salutes, and were visibly drunk.

While there, they began interfering with a DJ's equipment. The DJ, a Black man, objected, and the four men assaulted him. Bystanders came to his defense and were also injured during the attack.

“The defendant, a known white supremacist, singled out and attacked a Black man because of his race – violent, hate-driven conduct that has no place in our society today,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement. “The convictions that we have secured in this case make clear that the Department of Justice will continue to use every resource at its disposal to fight white supremacist violence.”

After his arrest, Stanley told the FBI that he wasn't in Washington state at the time of the assault. This led to a second charge of making a false statement to law enforcement, to which he also pleaded guilty.

The four men are members of multiple white supremacist groups who came to Western Washington for a meetup.

A sentencing hearing for Stanley is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2023. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for the hate crime, and a maximum of five years for making a false statement.