A Springfield, Oregon man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for a hate crime after attacking a victim because of their sexual orientation.
Daniel Andrew McGee, 26, received a sentence of 151 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release. The sentencing took place in Eugene, Oregon.
“The right to live safely in one’s community is a fundamental civil right. The District of Oregon remains committed to combatting hate crimes and protecting that right for all,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “While no conviction can undo the harm caused, we hope this sentence will bring some measure of justice to the victim and our community.”
“Hate crimes impact not just individuals, but entire communities,” said Acting FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Matt Torres. “The FBI works together with our partners to prevent hate crimes from impacting our communities, and every attack on someone because of who and what they are deserves to be acted on by the full extent of the law.”
Court documents state that on July 5, 2021, McGee met his victim at the victim’s apartment after communicating through Grindr, an app primarily used by gay men. During the meeting, McGee assaulted the victim over several minutes using a wooden tire thumper and attempted to gouge out the victim’s eyes with his hands. The assault resulted in life-threatening injuries including serious head wounds.
Investigators found that McGee had planned the attack for weeks beforehand. For at least a month prior to the incident, he searched online for homophobic and violent anti-gay content. He also purchased weapons and other materials from Amazon and researched ways to evade detection after committing murder.
On November 18, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted McGee on one count involving an attempt to kill as part of a federal hate crime charge. He pleaded guilty on November 25, 2025.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Eugene Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Huynh and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Tenette Smith.
Scott Bradford has previously served as Chief of the White Collar Unit and Acting Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section before becoming U.S. Attorney for Oregon (https://www.justice.gov/usao-or/staff-profile/meet-united-states-attorney). The office is involved in community outreach programs aimed at fighting crime and protecting rights across Oregon (https://www.justice.gov/usao-or/programs). The U.S. Attorney's Office operates under the Department of Justice as one of 93 such offices nationwide (https://www.justice.gov/usao-or), with locations in Portland, Eugene, and Medford (https://www.justice.gov/usao-or), employing 107 staff members (https://www.justice.gov/usao-or). Their mission includes representing the United States in civil and criminal matters while fostering trust in the federal judicial system (https://www.justice.gov/usao-or/about-district-oregon).
