An Arkansas man has pleaded guilty to committing a federal hate crime for taking part in a car chase intended to cause a vehicle driven by Hispanic men to crash. Nineteen-year-old Sean Popejoy’s plea makes him the first person to be convicted of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was enacted in 2009. Popejoy now faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Both Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., died as the result of violent hate crimes committed more than a decade ago.