State and federal prosecutors said today they've added a federal civil rights felony charge to the state misdemeanor assault charged faced by two Anchorage residents over the attack on a Native man last summer.
Robert Bruce Gum, 19, and Deanna Angelina Scaglione, 21, also known as Deanna Powers, had been out on bond on the state charges but were rearrested after the federal indictment was handed up yesterday.
The federal felony charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
In announcing the indictment and arrest, U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler said at a press conference this morning that the federal government got involved because the attack clearly fell under U.S. law and the government wanted to send a message that hate crimes would not be tolerated.
Anchorage District Attorney Adrienne Bachmann, a state official also present at the press conference, said the elements of a state assault crime are different from a federal civil rights violation.
The attack gained national notoriety when a video was posted on the Internet site YouTube.
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