An attorney from Florida has pleaded guilty to attempting to detonate explosives outside the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., and bombing a sculpture of communist leaders in San Antonio, Texas.
The attorney, aged 45 and hailing from Panama City, Florida, admitted to the charges in court. The incidents occurred in 2022 and 2023, with the attorney using a rifle in both attempts.
According to court documents, the attorney drove from Florida to Washington in September 2023. He placed a backpack containing explosive materials near the Chinese embassy and attempted to detonate it by shooting at it with a rifle. Fortunately, he missed his target.
In a separate incident in November 2022, the attorney traveled to San Antonio, where he targeted a sculpture of Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong. He placed explosive canisters at the base of the sculpture and triggered an explosion by shooting at them with a rifle from a nearby rooftop.
The attorney pleaded guilty to three counts, including damaging property occupied by a foreign government, damaging federal property with explosive materials, and possessing an unregistered firearm. As part of a plea deal, both the attorney and prosecutors agreed that a sentence of seven to 10 years in prison would be appropriate.
The attorney is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief Judge James Boasberg in Washington on October 28. The incidents highlight the seriousness of the charges and the potential consequences of engaging in such criminal activities.
