Margate Man Targeted Jewish and Black Americans Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Firearm Offenses (DOJ)

MIAMI - A Margate man was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison for a series of firearm offenses and for amassing weapons, tactical gear, and attack plans targeting Jewish and Black Americans.

U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith sentenced John Kevin Lapinski, Jr., 41, to 300 months in prison. Lapinski previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by a person subject to a court order, possession of an unregistered silencer, and possession of body armor by a violent felon.

On October 31, 2024, Margate Police responded to a call of shots fired in a residential neighborhood. Officers determined Lapinski-legally barred from possessing firearms-was the shooter. Inside his residence, officers observed a shooting target depicting a Black male riddled with bullet holes. A subsequent search uncovered an arsenal: five firearms, more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition, firearm parts and accessories, two silencers, body armor, smoke grenades, a Ghillie suit, and tactical gear.

Officers also found maps of local schools, parks, and other community sites scrawled with racial slurs targeting Black and Jewish people, as well as a a "target list" naming "groups to attack" based on race and religion. The list included a Jewish member of Congress, local synagogues, Jewish-owned businesses, and other religious and ethnically identified sites.

Investigators further linked Lapinski to an August 2024 shooting in which the home and vehicle of a Jewish resident were riddled with bullets.

"This defendant stockpiled weapons, tactical gear, and detailed attack plans to terrorize Jewish and Black Americans in our communities. His intent was not abstract-it was written on his maps, his targets, and his so-called hit list. Thanks to the swift work of our law enforcement partners, his plan never became reality. Instead of carrying out acts of racist violence, he will spend the next quarter-century behind bars. Let this sentence serve as a warning: hate-fueled violence will be met with decisive federal prosecution. We will disrupt your plans, seize your weapons, and ensure you never endanger the people of this District again." - U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones.

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon Mallory of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division; and Chief Jonathan Shaw of the Margate Police Department announced the sentence.

The ATF, FBI, and Margate Police Department investigated the case.Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at https://http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-60224.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.

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