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Columbia man charged in hate crime to plead guilty

RCSD

Jonathan Andrew Felkel is scheduled to appear in federal court Thursday.

The Columbia man accused of a hate crime targeted at his Black neighbor is expected to plead guilty in federal court Thursday.

Jonathan Felkel, 34, was indicted last July with violating the housing rights of his neighbor, Jarvis McKenzie.

According to court documents, Felkel fired his gun and made threatening comments toward McKenzie during the early morning hours of July 17, 2025, while Felkel was driving into the gated community where they both lived.

The exchange was captured on security video.

Felkel is scheduled to plead guilty to one count of violating the federal housing rights of McKenzie. He faces up to 10 years in prison on that charge, a maximum fine of $250,000 and a period of supervised release following the prison sentence.

The hearing is set for 2 p.m. at the Matthew J. Perry Jr. Federal Courthouse in Columbia.