Two Pasco men get prison time for burning cross in interracial couple’s yard in 2012

Two Pasco County men were sentenced to prison time after pleading guilty to civil rights violations for their harassment of an interracial couple including burning a cross in their front yard, according to U.S Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

On Tuesday, Thomas Herris Sigler III, 46, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison and William A. Dennis, 56, was sentenced to 21 months federal prison by U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven, according to a news release.

Sigler and Dennis pleaded guilty earlier this year to civil rights violations for their attack and intimidation of an interracial couple in Port Richey. Their co-defendant, Pascual Carlos Pietri, pleaded guilty to an identical charge and was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment on March 23, 2016.

There was a fourth co-conspirator who is now dead.

“Acts of intimidation and violence perpetrated against people because of their race, ethnicity, color or creed are reprehensible,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Muldrow. “Individuals and families should have the right to live wherever they choose, without fear. Acts of hatred such as this simply cannot be tolerated and we will investigate and prosecute those who commit these crimes.”

In September 2012, the victimized interracial couple moved next door to Sigler and Dennis, who began regularly harassing the man with racial slurs and derogatory statements, the case revealed. In mid-October 2012, Sigler physically attacked the man while Dennis prevented another neighbor from intervening.

On Halloween night that year, Sigler and Dennis went to a party at the home of the fourth co-conspirator and they planned out the burning of a cross in the couple’s yard as a way to intimidate them into moving. With the other man’s wood and tools, Sigler and Dennis built a wooden cross, Dennis poured gasoline on the cross and Dennis and Pietri carried the cross to the victims’ front yard, leaned it against their mailbox and Dennis told Pietri to set the cross on fire, which he did.

“The victims were attacked and threatened in their own neighborhood and home because of their race,” said John M. Gore, Acting Assistant Attorney for Civil Rights. “Such violence and intimidation has no place in our society, the Justice Department is committed to protecting the rights of all citizens, and will continue to vigorously prosecute individuals who commit such atrocious acts of hate.”

This story was originally published August 29, 2017 at 8:54 PM with the headline "Two Pasco men get prison time for burning cross in interracial couple’s yard in 2012."