Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, a Jordanian national, was arrested for allegedly attacking a Florida energy facility over its perceived support of Israel.
At his detention hearing on Wednesday, Hnaihen was ordered to remain in custody pending trial amid charges of four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility.
"We allege that the defendant threatened to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by a desire to target businesses for their perceived support of Israel," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
Hnaihen reportedly began targeting and attacking businesses in the Orlando area for their support of Israel in June 2024.
Wearing a mask, Hnaihen smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind "warning letters" in the middle of the night.
His letters, which were addressed to the United States government, outlined a series of political demands and threatened to "destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel."
Toward the end of June, the suspect broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, and spent hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays, causing more than $700,000 in damage.
Following a multiagency effort, law enforcement identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11, shortly after another "warning letter" threatening to "destroy or explode everything" was found at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each threat offense and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the destruction of an energy facility offense.
