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David Bluer is shown in a screenshot — from a since-deleted YouTube video — in a court filing from Oct. 11, 2023. The video shows Bluer shooting a gun as a convicted felon in Oakley, Michigan. It was found when the Federal Bureau of Investigation was looking into Bluer for his role in racist vandalism at a church in Roseville.
Screenshot from U.S. Attorney’s Office sentencing memorandum
DETROIT — A Warren man was sentenced to a year in federal prison for his role in painting racist graffiti on a predominantly Black church in Roseville.
David Bluer, 34, was sentenced March 19 in U.S. District Court in Detroit. He pleaded guilty to one count of damage to religious property.
Bluer admitted to targeting Greater New Life Church in Roseville, where he painted a swastika, the word “die” and his first initial on the church in 2021. He allegedly had two unnamed accomplices when he defaced the church.
In a separate incident, Bluer vandalized Trombly Park in Warren with racist graffiti. One message read “DaviD kills” followed by a racial slur, according to the plea agreement. Bluer initially faced an additional count, federally protected activities, from this incident.
Bluer was charged with the offenses March 13, 2024. However, due to the plea deal he took, the federally protected activities charge was dropped.
When Bluer agreed to the deal, the Rev. Darnell Moore, of Greater New Life Church, called it a “slap on the wrist.” He offered Bluer some advice at the time: “Turn your life around and seek God.”
In 2022, Bluer faced charges for unlawful transport of firearms. This stemmed from a YouTube video that appeared to show Bluer shooting guns when he was a convicted felon at the time, according to a court filing. The videos were discovered when Bluer was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the fall of 2021 for the racist vandalism. He was tried in U.S. District Court in Detroit and sentenced to 18 months in prison Oct. 19, 2023. He received credit for time served starting April 12, 2023.
“The defendant’s attack, motivated by race and color, instilled fear in not only the mostly Black congregants of the church, but damaged the entire community’s sense of safety,” acting U.S. Attorney Julie A. Beck said in a press release. “Our office will always vigorously prosecute those who commit unlawful bias-motivated acts and seek justice for the victims.”
“The sentence of David Bluer sends a stern warning to anyone who seeks to invoke fear and hatred towards a specific group of individuals,” Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan, said in the release. “The FBI is committed to upholding the U.S. Constitution, investigating civil rights violations and the protection of the American People.”
Public defender Brandy Robinson, who represented Bluer, offered “no comment” at press time.
She detailed Bluer’s struggles with alcoholism throughout his life in a 2023 court filing. The document outlines abuse during his childhood and his commitment to recovery, including a letter from Bluer’s mother.
Bluer’s arrest was a result of investigative efforts by the Roseville Police Department, Warren Police Department, FBI Detroit’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
“The Roseville Police Department will furiously investigate any hate crimes and seek to prosecute the offenders to the fullest extent of the law!” Roseville Police Chief Mitch Berlin stated in an email. “Roseville is an inclusive community that is full of caring, loving people that take care of each other. While living and working in Roseville for a combined total of over 50 years, I have and continue to interact daily with some great people. This isolated incident does not reflect the values and core beliefs of our residents. Hopefully Mr. Bluer gets the help he needs while incarcerated.”
The graffiti was not Bluer’s first encounter with the law. According to an Oct. 11 court filing from then-U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson, Bluer was 24 years old when he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. The document states this happened during a bar fight.
Bluer fell asleep with a gun while drunk in a car Aug. 22, 2020, and was arrested by Madison Heights police, according to the filing. He was sentenced to six months of probation March 29, 2022, for carrying a concealed weapon. While out on bond for this offense, he was arrested for a home invasion in 2020, according to the filing.
He pleaded no contest in Macomb County Circuit Court to second-degree home invasion, a felony, in 2022. He was on probation for the offense for two years. A second felony charge of malicious destruction of property, over $1,000 but less than $20,000, was dismissed from the same incident.
