A man from Alliance, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to an attempted firebombing incident.
The costs include violating the Church Arson Prevention Act and using fire and explosives to commit a felony. The accused individual's actions were reportedly motivated by his opposition to a church's decision to host drag shows, as per Fox News.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Arson Targeting Church Over Drag Events
Aimenn D. Penny, a 20-year-old resident of Alliance, Ohio. The attack on March 25 aimed to torch the church due to its scheduled drag events. Penny now faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison for the church arson charge.
His sentencing is scheduled for January 29, as confirmed by the Justice Department. The attack destroyed the church's sign, with limited damage to the building itself. Jess Peacock, the church's pastor, expressed satisfaction with the outcome and emphasized that the congregation held no ill will against Penny. Peacock stated that the church was deeply disappointed by Penny's actions.
Following Penny's arrest, a search of his home by federal agents uncovered a hand-written manifesto containing 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, according to a criminal complaint.
The court document described "White Lives Matter" as a group with "racist, pro-Nazi, and homophobic views." Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who leads the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, condemned Penny's actions as "reprehensible" and emphasized that there is no room for bias-motivated violence and terror in the country.
Despite the attack, the church proceeded with its two scheduled events: a drag show at a local restaurant and drag story time for children at the church, according to NBC News.
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Ohio Church Attack Over Drag Shows
The incident prompted the church to enhance its security in response to Penny's arson attempt and threats from far-right groups. While maintaining that they bear no ill will against Penny, the church stressed the importance of holding individuals accountable for using violence to obstruct people from living their lives.
Penny had used Molotov cocktails created from a vodka bottle and a beer bottle, with gasoline serving as an accelerant. The criminal complaint revealed his affiliation with White Lives Matter and his participation in a protest against a drag event in Wadsworth, Ohio, on March 11.
During an interview with the FBI, Penny claimed he was attempting to protect children. He expressed increasing anger after watching internet videos of news feeds and drag shows in France, ultimately leading to his attack on the church.
Penny stated that he would have preferred the Molotov cocktails to be more effective and completely burn down the church. The Molotov cocktails caused scorch marks on the church's front door and exterior signage.
A sign on the southeast corner of the property was also damaged. Aimenn D. Penny's sentencing is scheduled for January 29, with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, in addition to a mandatory 10-year prison sentence to run consecutively with any other prison term imposed for using fire to commit a federal felony.
Recent years have seen protests and legislative changes related to drag events, including Tennessee's limitations on drag performances (ruled unconstitutional in June) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's signing of a law barring minors from attending drag shows in May, CBS News reported.
