Two Women Charged with Housing Intimidation

A criminal information was filed in United States District Court charging Amber Mohan and Michelle Snyder with interfering with and intimidating an individual’s right to enjoy housing because of that individual’s race, religion, and national origin, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cleveland office.

Mohan, 27, resides in Cleveland, while Snyder, 33, resides in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, according to public records. They are accused of violating Title 42, United States Code, Section 3631.

“In this country, people are free to live where they want, free from harassment and threats,” Dettelbach said. “Those who have not gotten the message and break the law will be prosecuted.”

“As evidenced by this investigation, the FBI aggressively and thoroughly pursues all allegations of civil rights violations. The actions outlined in the charges are simply unacceptable and no one should be subjected to these types of threats and intimidation.”

The information, along with evidence available to the United States Attorney’s Office, reflects that on or about December 1, 2009, Mohan, Snyder, and one other individual already charged, planned, and carried out the hanging of a toy camel from a noose and affixed that to the door of an individual, identified in the information as A.F.A., who is of Arabic descent and a Muslim.

The crime occurred at A.F.A.’s residence at the Stonebridge Apartments, located at 1500 Detroit Ave. in Cleveland. A.F.A. was selected as a target of Mohan and Snyder’s conduct because of A.F.A.’s race, religion, and national origin, according to the information.

The charge against Mohan and Snyder carries maximum penalties of up to one year in prison, a fine of $100,000, and up to one year of supervised release. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to each case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by assistant U.S. Attorney James V. Moroney following an investigation by the Civil Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.