A Tyler man known as the Asian Nazi may face up to 45 years in prison after he was found guilty of federal firearms law violations, authorities say.
Heon Jong Yoo, 25, was found guilty Thursday of seven counts of making false statements in connection with firearms transactions and one count of unlawful possession by a prohibited person, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
Yoo, also known as Hank Yoo, calls himself the Asian Nazi on social media. He is known for attending protests and rallies, often in Confederate attire. One of his videos shows Yoo singing “Dixie” in such an outfit.
Officials said Yoo falsely represented himself as a U.S. citizen in seven different firearms transactions, including some that involved semiautomatic weapons. Yoo possessed firearms and ammunition when he was arrested, which he was prohibited from having under federal law because he was involuntarily committed to a mental institution in 2013 and 2015.
“Yoo was becoming increasingly aggressive in his behavior, and there were multiple schools where people were extremely concerned about what he was going to do,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Brown said in a news release.
Yoo has demonstrated his white supremacist views at the University of North Texas and University of Texas at Tyler, where he was a student, in the past.
“He had weapons and a history of mental health problems. These situations often end badly, and it was good that law enforcement worked together to get him off the streets as soon as they did,” Brown said.
Yoo represented himself in the jury trial, which took place before U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III.
Yoo could face up to five years in prison for each false statement charge and up to 10 years for unlawful possession, according to the Justice Department. Sentencing will occur after the U.S. Probation Office completes a pre-sentence investigation.
