Prison Time for Brothers in Beating of Homeless Immigrant

Boston, MA - Two Southie brothers each face several years in state prison, after admitting to beating a homeless man because they believed he was an illegal immigrant, action that was reported at the time as "Trump-inspired."

Scott and Steven Leader, ages 40 and 30, pleaded guilty, as described by the Suffolk County District Attorney, to "an unprovoked attack on a sleeping man."

A statement from the victim, then 58, describes waking up to find the two men urinating on him and then beating him on Aug. 9, 2015, near the JFK/UMass MBTA station where he had been sleeping.

One of the brothers repeatedly struck the victim with a metal pole, and witnesses reported the two men walked away laughing, according to a press release from the Suffolk County DA's office.

Scott Leader subsequently made statements at the South Boston police station that he and his brother "tuned up" an "illegal immigrant" -- acceptable behavior, he said, since the victim was homeless and Hispanic, per evidence referred to in the DA's press release.

Previous reporting detailed other lewd behavior while the men were in police custody, in addition to a reported statement from brother Scott Leader: "Donald Trump was right, all these illegals need to be deported."

Trump later responded, referring to his supporters' "passion."

• Full Story: 'Trump-Inspired' Beating Puts Homeless Man in Hospital

According to the victim statement included in the DA's release, the man was in fact a permanent resident of the country, and has been for several years, first coming to the U.S. to work in farm fields.

"If I had been undocumented I still would not have deserved to be beaten this way," the victim statement said. “I still feel pain all over my body from this incident. I don’t think my fingers will ever be the same."

The victim was hospitalized at the Boston Medical Center following the incident, treated for a broken nose, serious bruising across his torso, and other injuries. Witnesses to the attack helped police locate and arrest the brothers soon after.

The Leaders pleaded guilty to charges of causing bodily injury while committing a civil rights violation, assault and battery for purposes of intimidation causing bodily injury, two counts each of assault and battery, and two counts each of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The laundry list of indictments led to a three-year sentence for Scott Leader and two and a-half years for Steven, both of whom will then be under three years' probation, the first year of which is to be spent at a sober house.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Peter Krupp also ordered them to serve 20 hours of community service and complete a cultural diversity training program "if one exists," the press release said.

Photos: Scott Leader is in the red and blue shirt; Steve Leader is wearing the white tank top.