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AG Barr recognizes Southern District of Texas attorneys for work on hate crime case

By: U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas
| Published 10/23/2019

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HOUSTON, TX -- Attorney General William P. Barr recognized two Southern District of Texas (SDTX) employees for their distinguished public service at the 67th Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony today.

This annual ceremony, held in Washington D.C., recognizes employees and other individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievements, leadership and service to the Department of Justice and the American people.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharad Khandelwal and Kate Suh were recognized along with Department of Justice Trial Attorney Saeed Mody for the successful prosecution of Marq Vincent Perez.

On Jan. 28, 2017, Perez burned down a mosque in Victoria.

An investigation revealed Perez had broken into the mosque a week earlier, tried to blow up a car using a homemade bomb, recruited others to “scope out” other mosques and threatened to burn the mosque down if it was rebuilt

The trial commenced for a week and involved testimony from more than 25 witnesses. The federal jury in Victoria returned guilty verdicts July 16, 2018, on all counts as charged. They found Perez responsible for a hate crime in the burning of the mosque, use of fire to commit a felony and for possessing an unregistered destructive device for an incident that occurred Jan. 15, 2017.

Observing that this case struck at the heart of what it means to be an American because it concerned a core right of religious freedom, the district court sentenced Perez to more than 24 years in prison.

“Our greatest strength in our fight for justice is our people – the thousands of men and women who have dedicated their careers, often at great personal sacrifice, to working for justice in America,” said Barr. “As we reflect on the contributions of each of the 357 individuals we honor today, we should hold them up as examples of excellence that continue to inspire our own commitment, and also as reminders of the professionalism and the qualities exhibited throughout the Department.”

This year’s program honored individuals across the department and federal, state, local and tribal partners for their self-less efforts, protecting national security and civil rights, addressing rising violent crime in our communities, going after gangs and those trafficking in dangerous narcotics and human beings. The awards also honor the work of civil and environmental litigation, which enforces the rule of law and upholds our Constitution. They also recognize employees whose ideas and efforts save taxpayer dollars and help our government operate more effectively and efficiently, among other contributions to public safety and good governance.

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