An Ohio man pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from his “reprehensible” bid to burn down a church that’s supportive of LGBTQ rights, officials said Tuesday.
Aimenn D. Penny, a 20-year-old from Alliance, Ohio, threw Molotov cocktails at the Community Church of Chesterland on March 25, hoping to torch the house of worship because it had scheduled upcoming drag events, according to court documents.
Penny pleaded guilty to using fire and explosives to commit a felony and to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, legislation signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996 in response to a string of attacks on Black churches.
Penny faces up to 20 years behind bars after pleading guilty to the church arson charge, according to the Justice Department. His sentencing was set for Jan. 29, 2024.
Jess Peacock, pastor of the Community Church of Chesterland, said the congregation was satisfied with the outcome.
“From the very beginning, we said that we held no ill will against Mr. Penny,” Peacock told NBC News on Tuesday. “We were very disappointed by the actions he took.”
The explosives hurled at the church destroyed its sign but otherwise did little damage.
When Penny was arrested earlier this year, federal agents searched his home and found a “hand-written manifesto that contained ideological statements, a Nazi flag, Nazi memorabilia, a White Lives Matter of Ohio T-shirt, a gas mask, multiple rolls of blue painters tape and gas cans,” a criminal complaint said.
The court document called “White Lives Matter” a group with “racist, pro-Nazi, and homophobic views.”
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who leads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, called Penny’s acts “reprehensible.”
“There is no room in this country for such bias-motivated violence and terror,” she said in a statement.
Penny’s attorney could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday.
The March 25 attack didn’t stop the church from following through with its two scheduled events: a drag show at a local restaurant and drag story time for children at the church.
The church was forced to increase security as a result of Penny’s attempt to burn it down and threats received from far-right groups, Peacock said.
“While we hold no ill will against Mr. Penny, we do think there needs to be repercussion when people use violence to prevent anyone from living their lives,” Peacock said.
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Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
