Local News

Contentious land deal leads to racial slurs in seller's email to buyer

Bad blood over a property deal has resulted in a Black business owner in Raleigh receiving an email in which he was called by a racial slur multiple times and the sender stated, "I am your master."

Posted Updated

By
Keely Arthur
, WRAL reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — Bad blood over a property deal has resulted in a Black business owner in Raleigh receiving an email in which he was called by a racial slur multiple times and the sender stated, “I am your master.”

Brian Burnett, who grew up in public housing and now owns Glenwood South Tailors and Alterations, said it was a personal goal to expand his businesses and own property beyond Wake County. So, in 2019, he purchased a piece of land in Henderson from Ryan Roberts, of Littleton.

The men agreed that Roberts would finance the purchase, and they set up a payment plan. But Roberts foreclosed on the deal after Burnett was late on several payments. Burnett eventually paid for the property in full and now owns it.

The deal created animosity between the two men. Roberts said he filed a report with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and is in the process of filing a restraining order against Burnett. Burnett said he reported Roberts to the state Department of Justice and a consumer protection agency.

Roberts also said Burnett has cyber stalked him and threatened him, writing in one email, “I’ll pay you a visit.”

"I’ve told him numerous times, 'Do not come to my house. You’re not allowed to come to my house,'" Roberts said recently.

Because the land was paid for earlier this year, Burnett asked Roberts for a letter indicating the property transaction was complete. Instead, Roberts sent him an email that Burnett called “trauma inducing.”

“I can tell you I am your master if I want to ... when you behave like a n*****,“ the email said.

"He just showed his true colors," Burnett said. "I must admit, I shouldn’t have been, but I was surprised [by the email] because it was just blatant. I mean, there's innuendo, but then there is just, like, brute force, racist, hateful, vitriol language."

Roberts said Burnett had pushed him to the edge.

"I am not discriminating against his color. I’m just looking for a mean thing to call him, let's be clear," Roberts said. "Yes, it’s a little rude, but you have to understand this is after he’s been picking and picking and annoying and harassing."

Burnett said he hopes no one else ever gets such an email.

"This needs to come out, and that’s why this needs visibility," he said. "If you do it in an email, you’ll probably do it in person as well."

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.