By Joe Johnson
A Walton County man has been indicted federally for allegedly yelling racial slurs at his black neighbor and shooting at him.
According to the indictment filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Athens, 73-year-old Mark Wheeler shot a .22 caliber revolver in the direction of the victim and the victim’s residence while yelling racial slurs.
The indictment charges him with one count each of interference with housing and possession of a firearm.
The housing offense is because Wheeler "willfully injured, intimidated, and interfered with M.H., a black male whose identity is known to the grand jury, because of M.H.'s race and color..."
If convicted, Wheeler faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for both the civil rights and firearm charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Peach and Sonja Profit for the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.