FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CR MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 1996 (202) 616-2765 TDD (202) 514-1888 TWO TEXAS MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO BURNING DOWN A HOUSE BELONGING TO A BLACK FAMILY WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Two Texas men pled guilty today to attempting to intimidate an African-American family by burning down the house where the family planned to move, the Justice Department announced. Shannon Ray Singleton, 18, and Gary Wayne Stouard, 40, both of Wichita Falls, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court in Dallas to burning down a house in early March which Ruby Fleeks, an African-American woman, planned to live in with her two children. "No American should live in fear of having their home attacked because of their race," said Assistant Attorney General Deval. L. Patrick. "We will not tolerate acts of racial hatred toward members of our society and we will continue to vigorously prosecute these crimes." According to a two count information filed today, Stouard solicited Singleton on March 5 to set fire to a house at 2118 Bluff Street, directly across the street from Stouard's own home. Fleeks and her family were to move the next day, and had many of their belongings in the house already. Stouard offered to pay Singleton $50 and to provide him with the necessary supplies to carry out the act. That night, Singleton obtained gasoline from Stouard's home and used it to set fire to the house, breaking a window to pour the gasoline before lighting it. After committing the act, Singleton sought refuge in Stouard's home to avoid detection by the police. The Fleeks family was not able to move into the home. "We treat this attack so seriously because it was aimed not simply at one African-American family, but at an entire community. It is a graphic reminder of how far we still have to go in race relations in this country," said Paul E. Coggins, U.S. Attorney in Dallas. Count one of the information charged the two with conspiring to intimidate and injure the Fleeks family because of their race. Count two charged the two with committing a felony with the use of fire. Sentencing will take place on October 21, 1996. Under the law, each face up to 15 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. # # # 96-371