MARGATE, Fla. (CBS12) — A Margate man was sentenced to 25 years for planning targeted attacks on Jewish and Black Americans.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), 41-year-old John Kevin Lapinski Jr. previously pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a person subject to a court order, possession of an unregistered silencer, and possession of body armor by a violent felon.
On October 31, 2024, officers with the Margate Police Department (MPD) responded to shots fired at a Margate neighborhood. Inside his residence, officers located a shooting target depicting a black man covered in bullet holes.
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A thorough search uncovered the extent of his arsenal, which included:
- Five guns
- 3,000 rounds of ammunition
- Firearm parts
- Firearm accessories
- Two silencers
- Body armor
- Smoke grenades
- Ghillie suit
- Tactical gear
In addition to the weaponry, officers found disturbing evidence of something more sinister. Inside his home, officers say they found maps of local schools, parks, and other community sites with racial slurs targeting Black and Jewish people scribbled on them. They also found a “target list” naming “groups to attack.”
The list allegedly included a Jewish member of Congress, local synagogues, Jewish-owned businesses, and other ethnically identified sites.
Investigators were also able to link Lapinski to an August 2024 incident that left a Jewish resident’s car and home riddled with bullets.
“Let this sentence serve as a warning: hate-fueled violence will be met with decisive federal prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones. “We will disrupt your plans, seize your weapons, and ensure you never endanger the people of this District again.”
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