Zimnako Salah, a 45-year-old man from Phoenix, Arizona, has been convicted by a federal jury for charges related to his plot against Christian churches—an act characterized as a hate crime due to his deliberate targeting of these houses of worship because of the religion practiced there. Found guilty of attempting to obstruct the free exercise of religion by concocting a hoax bomb threat, Salah's case concluded with a verdict on Thursday, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California .

During an 11-day trial, evidence surfaced that between September and November of 2023, Salah visited four Christian churches across Arizona, California, and Colorado. While the congregants were placed in fear from the black backpacks he carried, resembling potential explosive devices, twice security intercepted Salah before he fulfilled his plan. Following the jury's deliberation, they found that Salah's intent was to intimidate the practitioners based on their faith, thus elevating his deeds to the gravity of a hate crime.

Salah’s social media records, which were seized and reviewed, showed an alarming pattern of consuming extremist content online. As per a statement from the Justice Department , Salah had been watching videos that glorified ISIS terrorists' violent acts and searched for material depicting the death of "Infidels." Such findings painted a disturbing portrait of an individual steeped in extreme ideologies and poised for potential violence.

The coordinated efforts of the FBI along with local law enforcement led to the seizure of Salah's storage unit, where component parts of an improvised explosive device (IED) were discovered. Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel commended the collaboration, stating, "His deliberate targeting of multiple places of worship and calculated efforts to spread panic were intended to terrorize people of faith and disrupt the peace of our communities." The tenacity of the investigative teams ensured that Salah's threats, which had veered dangerously close to becoming more than just hoaxes, brought him before justice.

The seriousness of the offenses was further underscored by the reactions from law enforcement officials and legal representatives. "This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith," Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized, signaling the government's staunch stance on deterring hate-based crimes. Salah is awaiting sentencing, scheduled for July 18, with potential repercussions including six years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although the final determination will rest within the thoughtful discretion of U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins who will consider statutory factors alongside Federal Sentencing Guidelines.