Man accused of throwing Molotov cocktail at Army tank in Florida
Florida officials charged a Minnesota man with attempted arson of federal property and possession of a Molotov cocktail by a convicted felon.
On February 14, Trang Johnny Nha Phan, 25, attempted to set fire using a Molotov cocktail to a M-60 A-3 tank owned by the U.S. Army, according to a press release Tuesday from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Middle District of Florida.
The release didn't state where the alleged arson took place, other to say it happened within the Florida district.
A report from WWSB ABC7 in Sarasota, however, said Phan's arrest came after the Molotov cocktail was thrown at a memorial tank on display outside a Veterans of Foreign Wars post. The quartermaster for the post told ABC7 that he witnessed the accused throw the incendiary device at the tank, but the bottle did not break and it rolled away from the tank without causing any damage.
At the time, Phan had been convicted for threats of violence and possessing three grams or more of heroin, prosecutors say.
Court records show Phan had been held in the Sarasota County Jail and pleaded not guilty to the charges in Tampa federal court on May 16. A trial is set for the week of July 7.
If convicted, he faces a minimum of 35 years and up to 65 years in federal prison.
Federal officials have also notified Phan they intend to seize assets that are traceable to the offense.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative using resources from the Department of Justice to 'repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.'
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