Vasquez
By Allison Scarbrough, News Editor
HART — A 61-year-old Hart man was sentenced to 11 days in jail with credit for 11 days served for a conviction of ethnic intimidation in Oceana County’s 51st Circuit Court Monday, Jan. 5.
Fabian Vasquez Jr., “unleashed a tirade” of profanity-laced ethnic slurs toward a pharmacist and then made similar remarks to the police officer investigating the case, said Oceana County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Bizon.
Vasquez pleaded guilty to the charge Nov. 10, 2025 following the May 13, 2025 incident. A second count of ethnic intimidation and charges of malicious use of a telephone and disturbing the peace were dismissed.
Judge Susan K. Sniegowski also sentenced him to one year probation and $658 in fines and costs.
“Mr. Vazquez has experienced certain frustrations with the Hometown Pharmacy in Hart,” said Prosecutor Bizon. “He dealt with this by unleashing a tirade of grossly inappropriate ethnic slurs towards the pharmacist and then left messages on their voicemail with more of the same. He also was racially offensive toward the Hart police officer when the Hart police officer attempted to discuss the situation with him and get his side of the story.
“He told the pharmacist, “F— you! How dare you mess with my prescriptions! I know what time you get off work. Watch your back.’ He also called him a ‘c—sucker’ and ‘a little b—-.’ This occurred in front of customers, including children.
“During a voicemail tirade, bragging he had not been arrested yet, he asked the pharmacist, ‘Do you need to get the f— out of there or I will chase you the f— out? Later Doc, p— f—ing guy. What are you? F—ing Indian? Are you an Indian motherf—ing n—–? You’re a what? A f—ing n—–? You’re a f—ing n—–, like a f—ing n—–, is what you are? That’s what you are, a n—-.”
Bizon said he called the officer an “Asian pig motherf—–.”
“Ethnic intimidation is considered to be a ‘low severity felony,” said the prosecutor. “It is scored on the G grid — the second lowest grid, and having a minimal prior record — two misdemeanors, his guidelines were 0-3 months. The presumptions imposed by MCL 769.34 directed that a probation sentence was appropriate.”
The maximum sentence for an ethnic intimidation conviction is two years in prison.
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