Arizona man convicted of hate crime for church bomb threat hoax

A federal jury on Thursday convicted Zimnako Salah of a hate crime for committing or planning to commit bomb threat hoaxes at several churches. Salah, an Arizona resident, planted backpacks in two churches and attempted to do so in two more, according to a Justice Department release. He targeted churches in Arizona, California, and Colorado in 2023 in an attempt to intimidate and obstruct the exercise of Christian religion, the jury found.

An FBI affidavit said employees and volunteers at a church in Roseville, Calif., were terrified after finding one backpack strapped to a toilet in the church restroom, The Sacramento Bee reported. They called 911 twice but police didn’t arrive, so they established a large perimeter. They moved the backpack to a food preparation area, fetched a first-aid expert, prayed, and opened the backpack—finding only a pillow inside, according to the affidavit.

Salah had also been building a bomb that could fit in a backpack, the Justice Department release said. He had watched extremist videos including some of ISIS terrorists murdering people and conducted an online web search using the phrase “infidels dying.”

What punishment will Salah receive? Salah faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins for sentencing on July 18.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on the Justice Department’s role in the launch of a new Title IX task force.