Emergency personnel are seen at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce which was set on fire, in Fort Pierce, Florida, September 12, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS
Dustin Allen Hughes of Cutler Bay, Florida, pleaded guilty on Thursday during a hearing in the Southern District of Florida, federal prosecutors said in a statement.
He faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on Sept. 6.
Hughes confessed to calling an emergency contact for the Jamaat Ul Muttaqeen Mosque in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on May 5 and leaving “a hate-filled and profanity-laden voicemail message denigrating Islam and threatening to blow up the mosque,” the prosecutors’ statement said.
Explosion in Austin wounds two men
In the message, Hughes said he had a detonator, that he was “going to blow your ... temple up,” and that “you guys are all going to be up in flames after I’m done with you,” according to the statement.
Law enforcement was contacted and immediately responded, but no bomb was found at the mosque, prosecutors said.
“The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute hate crimes so that all people, no matter how they worship, can live their lives freely and without fear,” Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore said in the statement.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ