Greenville man gets federal prison time for threatening Black family with metal rod
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - A Greenville man will spend more than two years in federal prison after threatening an African American family because of their race.
Douglas Gurkins, 34, was sentenced today to two years and four months in prison for violating the Fair Housing Act.
Back in August, Gurkins pled guilty, admitting that in December 2014 he went to the family’s home, yelled racial slurs at them, and threatened to shoot the mother and her four children. Prosecutors say the man then threatened the family with a metal rod.
The feds say the family moved out a few days later.
From 2014-2018, Gurkins is accused of making similar threats against two other African American families in the same neighborhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
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