A Rochester man has been sentenced to a year in jail for harassing a man walking in his neighborhood last fall and, in a second case, for failing to stop for police.
The 43-year-old victim in the harassment case told police he was convinced the confrontation was because of his race. He is black.
Authorities said the defendant, Joey Leigh Lyke, 29, is white and has tattoos of Hitler's face and an eagle atop a swastika.
At the time he was arraigned, prosecutors called it "very harassing behavior." Lyke was charged with gross misdemeanor harassment/stalking and misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Neither charge alleged bias.
He pleaded guilty to the harassment charge on March 4. He also pleaded guilty to felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle from a charge filed in January, and to gross misdemeanor driving while impaired and to felony motor vehicle theft from another file.
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On Monday, Judge Joseph Chase stayed execution of a sentence of one year and one day in jail on the felony convictions on condition that Lyke serve a year in jail on the harassment and felony cases, to run concurrently. He receives credit for any time already served in jail on these cases.
