A man in Mississippi has been charged with a federal hate crime for allegedly taunting a Black family by burning a cross in his front yard. In December 2020, Axel C. Cox, a resident of Gulfport, allegedly set a cross ablaze while spewing racist comments at his Black neighbors. On Friday, the Department of Justice charged him with one count of criminal interference with the right to fair housing and one count of using fire to commit a federal felony. Cox could face up to 10 years in prison and be forced to pay $250,000 if convicted.