In federal court today, a Washington man, Kalvinn Garcia, aged 26 and hailing from Sedro Woolley, received a 48-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release. This sentencing was in connection with a hate crime involving arson at a nightclub and event space in Seattle, Washington known as Queer/Bar.
In his guilty plea, Garcia admitted to the following facts: On February 24, 2020, he deliberately set fire to a dumpster located in the alley just behind Queer/Bar. Shortly after starting the fire, Garcia was apprehended. During his arrest, he confessed to setting the fire with the specific intention of targeting Queer/Bar. His anger was fueled by a sign displaying the word “queer.” In his own words to law enforcement officers, he expressed disapproval, stating, “I think it’s wrong that we have a bunch of queers in our society.” In a separate incident several weeks later, Garcia revealed to a stranger that his goal in setting the fire had been to trap and harm the people inside Queer/Bar. He openly admitted that he had intentionally used fire as a means to cause bodily harm to the individuals in Queer/Bar due to their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division remarked, “The defendant committed an act of violence targeting innocent victims inside Queer/Bar, a known safe space for the LGBTQI+ community. Bias-motivated violence runs contrary to our values and violates our federal civil rights laws. This sentence should send the message that every person in our nation deserves equal protection under the law regardless of who they love or how they identify and that those carrying out similar acts of violence against the LGBTQI+ community will be brought to justice.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman for the Western District of Washington emphasized the gravity of Garcia’s actions, stating, “Mr. Garcia endangered the lives of more than 100 people because of his hatred for members of our LGBTQI+ community. We work diligently with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute acts of hatred against people because of their sexuality or gender identity. This work is a priority because the effect of these hate crimes can linger in communities and traumatize the members of the targeted community for weeks, months, or years after.”
Special Agent in Charge Richard A. Collodi of the FBI Seattle Field Office added, “Mr. Garcia admitted to setting the fire in an effort to hurt people based on his own bias. No person in the United States should fear for their safety based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. I am proud of the continued work of the FBI and our partners in protecting the civil rights of all people.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Seattle Field Office and the Seattle Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Dreher for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section
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