18-year-old man sentenced for trying to burn down church hosting LGBT event – El Nacional

New York.- A 20-year-old American youth with Nazi ideology was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Monday night for attacking and trying to burn down a church in Chesterland (Ohio) in March of last year. Church to hold an event in support of the LGBT community.

The Department of Justice announced the sentence today – Amen Penny will serve 18 years in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to a hate crime and the use of weapons and explosives.

Penny, a native of another Ohio town, admitted her intention to burn down the Chesterland Community Church when she learned it was scheduled to participate in two events involving transgender people the following weekend.

You can read: 5 killed in US LGBT club shooting

He made two Molotov cocktails, drove from his town to Chesterland and threw explosives into the church, while it was empty, but caused only minor damage to the equipment.

When he was arrested, police found a handwritten ideological manifesto called “White Lives Matter” in his home, along with Nazi flags and paraphernalia, gas masks and gas canisters, NBC reported at the time.

“This sentence will send a clear and powerful message that hate-motivated attacks against the Church will not be tolerated in this country (…), they are attacks against people who exercise their constitutional right to practice their religion and express their views. ” said the Assistant Attorney General. Kristen ClarkeFrom the Department of Justice.