A 17-year-old male who is on trial for shooting a Hispanic teenager is claiming to be part Native as part of his hate crime case in Montana. Allen Goff is charged with felony assault with a weapon. He is accused of shooting Christopher Ortiz, 17, after a confrontation at a house party in Billings. The pair were friends until Goff became active in white supremacist groups, according to prosecutors. The Montana Human Rights Network says Goff is one of the local leaders of The Creativity Movement. However, the judge handling the case ruled that white supremacist materials that were found in Goff's backpack cannot be presented at trial. Prosecutors hoped the information would help lead to a stiffer sentence under the state's hate crimes law. To counter claims that he is racist, Goff's attorney said at a hearing that the teen is party Native, The Billings Gazette reported. Goff's alleged tribal affiliation was not mentioned. Goff is also part Jewish, the attorney told the paper in an interview.
Get the Story:Human rights group describes suspect as ‘ringleader’ in supremacist activities (The Billings Gazette 5/18)