Man pleads guilty in threats to shoot Black grocery patrons

SEATTLE (AP) — A suburban Seattle man accused of threatening to shoot Black customers at grocery stores in Buffalo, New York, and at businesses in other states has pleaded guilty to making interstate threats and the hate crime of interference with a federally protected activity. U.S. Attorney Nick Brown said Joey George of Lynnwood pleaded guilty Monday. Brown said as part of a plea agreement George admitted he made threatening phone calls to grocery stores in Buffalo, restaurants in California and Connecticut, and a marijuana dispensary in Maryland. George phoned a Buffalo grocery store twice in July threatening to shoot Black people — weeks after a shooter killed 10 Black people at another Buffalo store.