DuPage County State’s Attorney Joseph E. Birkett announces that yesterday, August 1, 2005, William J. Nelson, 38 (d.o.b. 2/2/1967), of Chicago pled guilty to one count of a Hate Crime, a Class 4 Felony; one count of Aggravated Battery, a Class 3 Felony; and one count of Criminal Damage to Property, a Class 4 Felony.  Nelson was sentenced by Judge Perry Thompson to consecutive sentences of six (6) years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the Hate Crime and Aggravated Battery charges and two (2) years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the Criminal Damage to Property Charge.  Due to a previous felony conviction in Michigan, Nelson was eligible for and received an extended term sentence for the Hate Crime and Aggravated Battery Charges. 

The sentence is a result of events that occurred on August 24, 2004.  At approximately 12:45 a.m., the victim, an African-American man, was leaving a Villa Park apartment complex where he had been visiting a friend, when he saw the defendant running towards him.  The defendant was not wearing a shirt and the victim saw a large swastika tattooed on Nelson’s chest.  Upon reaching the victim, the defendant threw him to the ground and began punching and kicking him, while yelling racial slurs.   As a result of the beating, the victim suffered lacerations of the lip, nose, and head.  As well as a broken rib.  Nelson is a self-admitted white supremacist and member of the Aryan Nation.

Additionally, on June 14, 2005, while on bond for the battery, Nelson was arrested for Criminal Damaged to Property of the same apartment complex where the beating occurred.  While arguing with a tenant, the defendant took a hammer and broke several complex windows, causing extensive damage.

“This crime was an unprovoked attack upon a person solely because of his race.  Our society will not tolerate these hate crimes,” stated State’s Attorney Birkett.  He added, “This defendant received his rightful punishment - an extended term in the Department of Corrections.”

Birkett thanked the Villa Park Police Department for their thorough investigation of these cases.