Man Convicted of Hate Crime After Ramming Postal Vehicle With Tractor


     William Charles Franklin, 36, of Tennille, was convicted by a Macon jury of multiple federal felony and misdemeanor charges for his racist and violent attack on a postal carrier last winter. Franklin was convicted of the misdemeanor charge of obstructing mail and the felony charges of aggravated assault upon a federal officer, assault upon a federal officer, and retaliating against a witness. The most serious felony charges carry a maximum of 20 years in federal prison as well as a maximum fine of $250,000.

     At a two-day trial this week, prosecutors were able to successfully prove that, in December 2024, Franklin rammed a postal carrier's vehicle with a green tractor before hitting a stop sign, fleeing the site, and abandoning the still-warm vehicle in a nearby field. This came after a June confrontation that Franklin had with the postal worker in which Franklin asked the worker to move his vehicle before launching into a verbal tirade laden with racial slurs. The dispute, which was caught on camera, ended with Franklin threatening to punch, tie up, drag, and run over the postal worker. After the confrontation, Franklin called a family member to request a rope.

     When agents seized the phones of Franklin and his wife, they found a picture of the postal worker that Franklin had saved from the June confrontation. The phones also contained additional evidence that the attack was racially motivated. Upon his arrest on December 6th, 2024, agents found Franklin in possession of two AR-15-style rifles and a pistol. Franklin essentially threatening and making plans to lynch the postal worker because of the color of his skin while saving a photo of him and having possession of a small arsenal of weapons is extremely alarming. 

     Maximum sentences are rarely handed out in federal court. However, the base offense level in this case alone could result in several years in prison. Prosecutors can and likely will ask for sentencing enhancements based on the use of a vehicle as a dangerous weapon as well as for obstruction of justice related to the witness retaliation felony. The jury found in this case that the postal carrier's race was a driving factor behind the attack, which will make the sentence harsher than a normal assault on a federal officer. Any criminal history (or lack thereof) will also be factored into the sentence handed out, while a monetary penalty for the damage to the vehicle seems appropriate in a case like this.

     A Stefany Morris Franklin of Sandersville, Georgia, is also charged in this case, which seems to be his wife. She does not face any of the same counts as William Charles Franklin, but her address, her age, her booking photo, and an arrest date of December 2024 all line up with the proceedings of this case. I will update you when William Charles Franklin is sentenced as well as when I find more information on Stefany.


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