The man who drove his car into counterprotesters at a far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia has pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes, The Washington Post reports.
James Fields was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison last year after killing Heather Heyer, a counterprotester at the Unite the Right rally in August 2017. He pleaded guilty to 29 out of 30 counts Wednesday in a federal court in Charlottesville. The deal was approved by Attorney General William Barr and spares Fields from a possible death sentence, the Post says.
Fields is a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi and hit dozens of counterprotesters at the 2017 rally. He was convicted of first degree murder and nine other charges last December. A jury quickly sentenced the 21-year-old to 419 years in prison and ordered him to pay $480,000 in fines. Heyer's mother has gone on to lead a campaign against racism in her honor.
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