2 plead guilty to firebombing Tennessee mosque

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 2:11 am

Two men pleaded guilty today to firebombing a storefront mosque that was reduced to rubble with black swastikas spray painted on it. A federal indictment said the two and a third defendant also tagged “White Power” on the outside of the mosque before torching the building with Molotov cocktails. No one was njured in the February fire that burned down the Islamic Centre of Columbia, about 40 miles (65 km) south of Nashville.

Jonathan Edward Stone, 19, and Michael Corey Golden, 23, both pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of destruction of religious property and one count of use of fire to damage religious property, both civil rights charges.

A sentencing date has not been set for the men, who each face up to 30 years in prison. The third defendant, 32-year-old Eric Ian Baker, has not yet entered a plea.

He faces the same charges as Stone and Golden, along with unlawful possession of a destructive device, use of fire and explosives to commit felonies and destruction by fire and explosives of a building used in interstate and foreign commerce.

The latter three charges were dropped against Stone and Golden. Golden’s attorney, Michael Flanagan of Nashville, had no comment.

Assistant federal public defender R. David Baker, Stone’s attorney, said his client is remorseful. “He doesn’t wish ill on people of any colour or faith,” Baker said.

Eric Ian Baker’s attorney did not return a voice mail message left for him yesterday November 3.

(Agencies)

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2 plead guilty to firebombing Tennessee mosque

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