BOISE, ID.-An Oregon man who pleaded guilty to trying to hit people with his car and other LGBTQ+ hate crimes, was sentenced on Nov. 2 to three years in prison.
According to the Justice Department, Matthew Lehigh, 32, was sentenced to 37 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, he was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims.
Lehigh punched and threatened a transgender librarian in Boise before trying to run over a security guard in October 2022 according to court documents.
A couple of days later Lehigh saw two women he “assumed, based on their appearance and dress” were lesbians and shouted slurs at them before driving toward them and hitting one of their cars.
According to NBC reporting on the case, Lehigh also admitted to punching someone after using a slur and to burning a pride flag that was on a same-sex couple’s porch.
Lehigh spoke at his sentencing, saying, “I don’t have too much to say other than just my regret and my great gratitude that things didn’t end up worse than they did.”
