Quincy John Sullivan sentences anti Asian hate crime assault

John Sullivan, 78, of Quincy, pleaded guilty in April to violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Sullivan told a Vietnamese man to “go back to China!” before ramming him with his car twice.
Prosecutors are recommending a two-year prison sentence, while the defense is asking for six months home confinement.

QUINCY – A Quincy man was sentenced to 18 months in jail in federal court Wednesday for a violent hate crime perpetrated against a Vietnamese man and his family in December 2022.

In April, John Sullivan, 78, pleaded guilty to violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act when he told the Vietnamese man to “go back to China!” before ramming him with his car twice, ultimately sending him into a 10-foot construction ditch and resulting in bodily injury.

Sullivan verbally accosted the man’s family, including his sister, brother-in-law (who is Chinese) and their three children under 11, threatening to kill all but the youngest child, according to prosecutors. The incident took place outside a Quincy post office.

John Sullivan, 78, of Quincy, pled guilty to a violent, anti-Asian hate crime. A federal judge sentenced him on Wednesday, Sept. 4, to 18 months in jail followed by three years of supervised release. Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger

Sentencing guidelines for the sorts of crimes committed by Sullivan suggest a 37 to 46-month prison sentence.

The 18-month prison sentence issued by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper will be followed by three years of supervised release, according to a statement from the District of Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office.