Man tries to set fire to US Army tank, feds say. Now, he's indicted in Florida
A Minnesota man convicted of making violent threats tried to set a U.S. Army tank on fire on Valentine's Day with a 'Molotov cocktail,' federal prosecutors in Central Florida said.
Now Trang Johnny Nha Phan, 25, has been indicted, according to a May 27 news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.
He faces one count of attempted arson of federal property, one count of possessing a Molotov cocktail as a convicted felon and one count of 'using a firearm' in furtherance of a crime of violence, his indictment shows.
Phan pleaded not guilty to the charges in Tampa federal court on May 16, according to court records.
Ashley G. Allen, a federal defender representing him, didn't immediately return McClatchy News' request for comment May 27.
When Phan tried to ignite what prosecutors said was a memorial M-60 A-3 Army tank on Feb. 14, he had been convicted of prior offenses: 'threats of violence and possessing three grams or more of heroin.'
Prosecutors didn't mention where the arson attempt occurred.
In 1960, the first M-60 battle tanks were rolled out by the U.S. Army, according to Army Technology. In 1991, the M60 tank series were used during Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War.
In Phan's indictment, prosecutors wrote the tank he's accused of trying to burn is owned by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, which is headquartered in Michigan.
Phan's jury trial is set for July 7 in Tampa, court records show. On May 16, he was ordered to be detained ahead of trial.
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UPI
27 minutes ago
- UPI
8 hurt in attack targeting Boulder event supporting Israeli hostages
June 1 (UPI) -- Authorities in Colorado said a man armed with a makeshift flamethrower attacked a group of people demonstrating in support of Israeli hostages near Boulder's county courthouse on Sunday, injuring eight. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman of Colorado Springs, was taken into police custody at the scene. He has been booked into the Boulder County jail on a slew of charges, including first-degree murder, according to jail records. Bond has been set at $10 million. Mark Michalek, the FBI special agent in charge, told reporters during a press conference that the suspect is alleged to have attacked the group of demonstrators with the homemade flamethrower and incendiary devices, later said to have been Molotov cocktails. He said witnesses reported hearing the suspect yell "Free Palestine" during the attack. "It is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism," he said. Police originally stated six people were injured but in a late Sunday statement said it had identified eight victims, four men and four women between the ages of 52 and 88. The conditions of the victims ranged from minor to serious, though Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said he could not confirm specific injuries. Authorities earlier said four victims had been transported to local hospitals and two were airlifted to the Denver area where they were receiving treatment by the Aurora hospital burn unit. Redfearn said at least one victim was "very seriously injured, probably safe to say critical condition." The attack near Pearl St. Mall in downtown Boulder occurred just before 1:30 p.m. MDT, authorities said. Police arrived at the scene to find victims suffering from burns. The suspect was taken into custody without incident but was transported to the hospital for minor injuries. "We need to hold the attacker fully accountable. That is my promise -- to hold to the attacker fully accountable," Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty vowed during the press conference. FBI Director Kash Patel described it as "a targeted terror attack," and his deputy director, Dan Bongino, said it was being investigated as "an act of ideologically motivated violence." The pro-Israel advocacy group the Anti-Defamation League identified the demonstrators attacked in a statement as participants of the weekly Run for Their Lives event, which sees Jewish community members run and walk in solidarity with Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity. "Today, America bore witness to yet another heinous act of anti-Semitism designed to terrorize a peaceful community," Colorado Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement. "This type of hate-filled violence has no place in our civilized society and must be universally condemned." The attack is the latest to occur in the United States targeting Jewish people amid Israel's war in Gaza. On May 21, Elias Rodriguez, 31, was accused of yelling "Free Palestine" as he was being arrested after allegedly shooting two Israeli embassy employees outside Washington's Capital Jewish Museum, where an event was being hosted by the American Jewish Committee. Days later, a U.S. citizen from Boulder was charged with planning to firebomb the U.S. embassy in Israel with Molotov cocktails. The ADL on Sunday said, "We're witnessing a global campaign of intimidation and terror deliberately directed against the Jewish people." Decades of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas exploded into a full-fledged war in Gaza after the military group killed 1,200 Israelis and took 251 more hostage in a blood surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel has responded by devastating Gaza with a brutal military offensive, killing more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry. Last month, Israel launched a new military offensive in the Palestinian enclave, increasing international criticism, including from allies, over the war. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser condemned the Sunday attack as a potential hate crime while stating violence is not the answer to political differences. "People may have differing views about world events and the Israeli-Hamas conflict, but violence is never the answer to settling differences. Hate has no place in Colorado," he said in a statement. "We all have the right to peaceably assemble and the freedom to speak our view. But these violent acts -- which are becoming more frequent, brazen and closer to home -- must stop, and those who commit these horrific acts must be fully held to account." An evacuation zone encompassing several blocks of downtown Boulder was established. The FBI late Sunday said in a statement that agents located in El Paso County, Colo., were conducting "a court-authorized law enforcement activity" related to the Pearl Street Mall attack. No other information was given. According to the ADL, there have been nine plots or attacks allegedly targeting Jews or Jewish institutions in the United States in the past 11 months, a sharp increase from seven between the 54 months between January 2020 to June of last year.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Colorado firebomb terror attack suspect was in the US illegally after overstaying his visa, previously applied for asylum: report
The Egyptian national accused of blasting a group of Israeli hostage supporters with a homemade flamethrower and Molotov cocktails during a Colorado solidarity walk Sunday was in the United States illegally after his visa expired in March, according to a report. Terror suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, originally entered the country through the Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 27, 2022, Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement sources told Fox News. Soliman arrived with a non-immigrant visa and was permitted to stay through Feb. 26, 2023, according to the outlet. Instead, he outstayed his original visa. 5 Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, originally entered the country through the Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 27, 2022. After filing a claim, he was cleared for work authorization by US Citizenship and Immigration Services on March 29, 2023. But that second chance only lasted through this March, meaning Soliman has remained in the US illegally for a little over two months, Fox reported. 'A terror attack was committed in Boulder, Colorado by an illegal alien. He was granted a tourist visa by the Biden Administration and then he illegally overstayed that visa. In response, the Biden Administration gave him a work permit. Suicidal migration must be fully reversed,' White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller wrote on X. Soliman's LAX landing wasn't his first attempt to enter the country. In 2005, the Egyptian was denied a visa to enter the country, law enforcement officials told CNN. It is unclear if he tried again before 2022, when he was ultimately approved. The Department of Homeland Security is working alongside the FBI to investigate the 'terrorist attack,' DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed. 5 Soliman arrived with a non-immigrant visa and was permitted to stay through Feb. 26, 2023. 5 Soliman outstayed his original visa. Soliman was arrested and identified as the suspect in the fiery attack against a group of people, largely comprised of the elderly, participating in a walk for the Israeli hostages still being held captive by Hamas. He was allegedly waiting for the group at one of their scheduled stops on their walk. Pictures showed a shirtless Soliman holding two bottles of clear liquid that were allegedly used as a homemade incendiary device. He also allegedly used a 'makeshift flamethrower' to attack the group, officials said. 5 The Department of Homeland Security is working alongside the FBI to investigate the 'terrorist attack.' 5 After filing a claim, he was cleared for work authorization by US Citizenship and Immigration Services on March 29, 2023. But that second chance only lasted through this March, meaning Soliman has remained in the US illegally for a little over two months. Eight victims — four men and four women between the ages of 52 and 88 — were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. At least one person was in critical condition as of Sunday evening. Soliman was also injured during the attack and treated at a nearby hospital. The FBI confirmed it is investigating the firebomb assault as an act of terrorism. 'As a result of these preliminary facts, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism,' FBI Denver Special Agent Mark Michalek said at a press conference.
Boston Globe
4 hours ago
- Boston Globe
What we know about the attack against a group of demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado
Here is what we know about the attack: What happened at the outdoor mall? Soliman attacked demonstrators with a volunteer group called Run for Their Lives, which organizes run and walk events to call for the immediate release of the Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza since a war between Israel and Hamas sparked in 2023, authorities said. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The group had gathered at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder popular with tourists and students. Advertisement The Israel-Hamas war continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It occurred more than a week after the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington by a Chicago man who yelled 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' as he was being led away by police. Police in Boulder evacuated multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear. Advertisement 'Our agents and local law enforcement are on the scene already, and we will share updates as more information becomes available,' FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media. The violence comes four years after a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Denver, that killed 10 people. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Who are the victims? Those injured range in age from 67 to 88, officials said. All were hospitalized. Photos from the scene showed a woman lying on the ground in the fetal position with her hair soaked, and a man helping her and getting water from someone with a water jug. The injuries authorities found were consistent with reports of individuals being set on fire, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said, adding that injuries ranged from serious to minor. Redfearn told reporters Sunday evening that it was too early to discuss a motive but that witnesses were being interviewed. 'It would be irresponsible for me to speculate on motive this early on,' he said. Who is the suspect? Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested at the scene. No charges were immediately announced but officials said they expect to hold him 'fully accountable.' Video from the scene showed him shirtless and wearing jeans and holding two clear bottles with a transparent liquid in them while shouting at onlookers. Another video shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advanced on the suspect. Advertisement FBI leaders in Washington said they were treating the Boulder attack as an act of terrorism, and the Justice Department — which leads investigations into acts of violence driven by religious, racial or ethnic motivations — decried the attack as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans.' 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a post on X.
