HOAX BOMBER SENTENCED TO 6 YEARS FOR FAKE BOMB AT CALIFORNIA CHURCH. (PHOTO)?

 Hoax bomber sentenced to 6 years for fake bomb at California church

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - An Arizona man was sentenced Friday to six years in federal prison for placing a hoax bomb at a church in Roseville, California. Zimnako Salah, 29, of Phoenix, had argued that he merely forgot his backpack in the church bathroom and had committed no act of terrorism.

A jury convicted Salah in April on charges of providing false information, committing a hoax, and obstructing the free exercise of religion. Prosecutors also determined that the act was a hate crime, as Salah targeted the church because of the congregants’ Christian faith. U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins, citing the seriousness of the offense and Salah’s lack of remorse, also imposed a $10,000 fine.

Authorities said Salah visited four churches across California, Arizona, and Colorado between September and November 2023. At two churches, he left backpacks that parishioners believed contained explosives, prompting heightened security responses. At the other two, security confronted him before any items were left behind. Investigators later found bomb-making components in a Colorado storage unit, including a propane tank, shrapnel, and other materials capable of creating an improvised explosive device. Salah’s social media activity revealed that he had viewed extremist and ISIS propaganda.

During sentencing, Salah’s defense attorney argued that his client had testified at trial, disavowed violence, and had no history of escalating behavior. Prosecutors countered that the hoax caused real fear, noting a witness who testified in tears, believing the backpack was a bomb. They also highlighted Salah’s premeditation, including scouting church entrances and exits and traveling across states to plant the hoax.

Judge Coggins rejected the defense’s request for a lighter sentence, stating that the church experienced substantial disruption, with security measures and relocation of children, and that Salah deliberately targeted the congregation because of their religion. She also noted that Salah had the means to pay the fine, citing his assets and past employment.