Prosecutors have finally decided to drop the hate crimes charges filed against the Christian man who destroyed a statue to Satan that was erected in the Iowa State Capitol building in Jan.

Mihael Cassidy, who pleaded guilty to destroying the statue, was initially charged with a hate crime after his arrest early this year. Now, though, he has accepted a plea deal that will drop the charges to misdemeanors, according to The Sentinel/

Cassidy pushed over and decapitated a statue installed by the Satanic Temple of Iowa last year, as first reported by The Sentinel, before he surrendered himself to security officers. Polk County Democratic Attorney Kimberly Graham later filed hate crime enhancements against Cassidy, meaning he could have faced as many as five years in prison if convicted. He pleaded guilty on Friday to third-degree criminal mischief in exchange for the dismissal of the hate crime enhancements and the payment of a fine, but he will not receive a prison sentence.

Davis Younts, an attorney who represents Cassidy, said in remarks to The Sentinel that prosecutors “finally agreed to drop the hate crimes enhancement after months-long legal battles over every aspect of this case,” crediting the Americans who supported Cassidy and enabled him to hire multiple attorneys who successfully pressured the state to dismiss the charges.

“It is because of the people that came to his aid and an outstanding legal team that we were able to back the prosecutors into a corner and get this resolution,” Younts said. “Instead of a felony hate crime and jail time, Cassidy received deferred judgment for damage to property and the conviction will be expunged once the court process is complete. Forcing the prosecutors to drop the hate crime is a huge victory for Cassidy and for religious freedom.”

Polk County Democratic Attorney Kimberly Graham was funded by anti-American billionaire George Soros in her run for office.

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