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Ohio Man Accused of Assault Convicted of Hate Crime

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CINCINNATI (AP) – Authorities say an Ohioan accused of assaulting a man because he believed the man was Jewish has been convicted of a federal hate crime.

Federal authorities said in a release that 33-year-old Izmir Koch of Huber Heights, was convicted Monday in Cincinnati of violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act and lying to the FBI.

Court documents say the February 2017 assault outside a Cincinnati restaurant occurred when Koch asked if anyone was Jewish. Authorities say Koch punched a man who identified himself as Jewish.

Authorities say Koch was heard shouting “I want to kill all of the Jews” as he and others hit and kicked the man, breaking a face bone and bruising his ribs.

A message was left Tuesday for Koch’s attorney.

Sentencing is set for May.