A Jordanian man living in Florida has been arrested for causing hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to a solar energy facility and damaging multiple businesses over their perceived support for Israel, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Middle District of Florida announced on Thursday.
Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, is accused of breaking the front doors of multiple businesses in a rampage in June. He wore a mask while committing the vandalism and left behind warning letters stating his intention to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”
In late June, Hnaihen broke into a solar energy facility in Wedgefield, Florida, where he worked for hours to smash the facility's solar panels, causing an estimated $700,000 in damages. He also cut wires and damaged critical electrical equipment.
The FBI became involved in the investigation, and Hnaihen was arrested on July 11 and indicted by a grand jury last week. He is charged with four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility, and faces up to 60 years in prison if convicted, 10 years for each threat and 20 years for the sabotage of the solar energy facility.
“We allege that the defendant threatened to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by a desire to target businesses for their perceived support of Israel,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Such acts and threats of violence, whether they are targeting the places that Americans frequent every day or our country’s critical infrastructure, are extremely dangerous and will not be tolerated by the Justice Department.”
“Under the guise of expressing his beliefs, the defendant allegedly attacked a power facility and threatened local businesses, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Violence and destruction of property to threaten and intimidate others will never be tolerated. The FBI and our partners will work together to pursue and hold accountable those who resort to violence.”
“Targeting and attacking businesses for perceived beliefs is unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and federally prosecute those who make violent or hate-based threats and who seek to act on these threats.”