An Ohio man who had allegedly been a member of a neo-Nazi “white lives matter” group has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for firebombing a church that planned to host drag events, the US justice department announced on Tuesday.
After making and throwing two molotov cocktails at the Community Church of Chesterland in Chesterland, Ohio, on 25 March 2023, Aimenn Penny was arrested on federal charges for using fire to commit a federal felony, malicious use of explosive materials and possessing a destructive device.
Penny, 20, had been angered by the church’s support of the LGBTQ+ community and its plans to host a drag brunch and a drag story hour the following weekend and wanted to burn the church to the ground.
By pleading guilty, Penny admitted to using force through fire and explosives and his intentions to obstruct the church’s congregants.
Penny belonged to a local chapter of the neo-Nazi “white lives matter” group, according to an FBI affidavit. In the affidavit, Penny said he “was trying to protect children and stop the drag show event”.
In a statement, Matthew G Olsen, the assistant attorney general of the justice department’s national security division, said: “Such acts of extremist violence have no place in our communities.
“This sentence holds Mr Penny accountable for carrying out violence against an Ohio church because he disagreed with the way congregants chose to express their beliefs.
“The justice department is committed to bringing to justice those who would use or threaten violence to prevent their fellow citizens from freely exercising their fundamental rights.”
Immediately after the sentencing, the church posted its response to Penny’s punishment on Facebook.
The post said: “We are relieved to be able to finally embrace some closure to what happened last year, but we do not celebrate Mr Penny’s sentence. It is a tragedy that ignorance and hate is going to put this young man’s life on hold for almost 20 years.
“It is also tragic that progressive churches, synagogues, and mosques must expend so much energy and resources on vigilance against the violence of small minded people. These are frightening times.”
