Latest news with #TrangJohnnyNhaPhan
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
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.'
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Miami Herald
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.
