Guilty Plea In Ole Miss Meredith Statue Vandalism

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A man charged with hanging a noose around a college statue dedicated to integration and diversity is going to plead guilty.

Federal court filings show former University of Mississippi student Graeme Phillip Harris will plead guilty to a charge of using a threat of force to intimidate African-American students and employees at the university.

Harris, of Alpharetta, Georgia, faces up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. He likely won’t be prosecuted for the other charge from his March indictment – conspiracy to violate civil rights – which carries up to 10 years in prison.

Shortly after the indictment, Harris’ lawyer denied the former student had draped the noose over the statute of integration pioneer James Meredith in 2014. The lawyer couldn’t immediately be reached Friday