Zimnako Salah was convicted of a federal hate crime by a jury in Sacramento, California on Friday. Salah, a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, traveled across the western US to sneak backpacks into Christian churches in three states. Between September and November of 2023, he traveled to four Christian churches in Arizona, California, and Colorado, planting backpacks as fake bombs in two of the churches. At the other two churches, Salah was confronted by security before he got the chance to plant those backpacks.

The Justice Department stated he had “the intent to convey a hoax bomb threat and to obstruct the free exercise of religion of the congregants who worshipped there.  The jury’s verdict included a special finding that Salah targeted the church because of the religion of the people who worshipped there, making the offense a hate crime.

During a search of his storage unit in Colorado, an FBI Bomb Technician seized items that an FBI Bomb Expert testified at trial served as component parts of an improvised explosive device (IED).

A search of Salah’s social media records revealed that he had consumed extremist propaganda online. Specifically, those records showed that Salah had searched for videos of “Infidels dying,” and he had watched videos depicting ISIS terrorists murdering people.

“This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The perpetrator of this abhorrent hate crime against Christians will face severe punishment.”

Salah is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18 by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins. He faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

“Planting a hoax bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank for this defendant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of federal and local law enforcement and the attorneys from my office and our DOJ partners in Washington D.C., our communities are safer with yesterday’s verdict. People of all religions should be able to worship freely and exercise their First Amendment rights in this country without fear of violence.”