An Arizona man has been convicted of serious crimes related to a chilling plot targeting Christian churches, shedding light on the growing threat to religious freedom in America. The individual had planned to harm congregants and disrupt the peaceful practices of Christian churches in the southwest, including Arizona, with his intent to convey a hoax bomb threat.
After an 11-day trial, a federal jury found Zimnako Salah guilty of attempting to disrupt a Christian church in Roseville, California. The 45-year-old male was convicted for placing a backpack on a toilet at the church with the intent to create a hoax bomb threat and interfere with the religious practices of its congregants. The jury also determined that Salah specifically targeted the church due to the faith of those who worshipped there, classifying the offense as a hate crime.
Federal officials claim Salah visited four Christian churches from September to November 2023 in Arizona, California, and Colorado. At two of the churches, he planted black backpacks inside, causing congregants to believe there were bombs inside. At the other two churches, he was stopped by security guards before he could leave the bags in the churches.
Salad had also been assembling a bomb small enough to fit inside a backpack, and during a search of his storage unit, FBI Bomb Technicians discovered materials that were components for creating an improvised explosive device (IED). Investigators also searched his social media records, revealing that he had been searching “extremist propaganda online,” including videos of “Infidels dying.” Court documents also reveal that he had been watching videos showing ISIS terrorists committing murders.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi condemned the incident, vowing that the “perpetrator of this abhorrent hate crime against Christians will face severe punishment.”
“This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith,” Bondi continued.
Salah faces a maximum penalty of six years and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins will sentence him on July 18.
“Planting a hoax bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank for this defendant,” Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California said. “His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of federal and local law enforcement, the attorneys from my office, and our DOJ partners in Washington D.C., our communities are safer with yesterday’s verdict. People of all religions should be able to worship freely and exercise their First Amendment rights in this country without fear of violence.”
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