A Florida man pleaded guilty to hate crimes for threatening to firebomb two mosques causing a top Indian-American official of the U.S. Justice Department to warn such threats violated the right to freedom of religion and would not be tolerated.
The Justice Department announced Feb. 12 that Martin Alan Schnitzler, 43, pleaded guilty to a hate crime in the Middle District of Florida when he called two mosques in Pinellas County, Florida, and threatening to firebomb the mosques and shoot their congregants. His sentencing date is not yet decided, and Schnitzler faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
“Our Constitution and laws guarantee all people – regardless of where they worship – the right to live free from violence and discrimination,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Schnitzler pleaded guilty to obstructing persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs and for making the violent threats. He admitted that on Nov. 13 last year, he left voicemail messages threatening the safety of the Islamic Society of St. Petersburg, Florida, and the Islamic Society of Pinellas County, thus preventing congregants from practicing their religion. He also admitted that his threats were prompted by the terrorist attacks in Paris.
Among other things, Schnitzler also admitted that in one of the voicemails he threatened to “personally have a militia” report to one of the mosques and “firebomb you, shoot whoever is there on sight in the head. I don’t care if they’re [expletive] two years old or a hundred.”
Both mosques requested increased law-enforcement security and took extra safety precautions after the threats.
“Criminal threats of violence against people or places of worship have no place in our society, and as proven today, the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute those who commit religion-based hate crimes,” Gupta said.
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