Three men were found guilty Wednesday of conspiring to blow up an apartment complex in western Kansas that housed Somali immigrants.
Patrick Stein, Gavin Wright and Curtis Allen were convicted of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. They were also found guilty of conspiring to violate the housing rights of their intended victims. Wright also was found guilty of lying to the FBI.
The men could face life in prison. Sentencing is set for June 27.
Stein, of Wright, Kan., and Wright, of Beaver County, Okla., are both 49; Stein, of Liberal, is 50.
The jury returned its verdict Wednesday just before 2 p.m., less than a day after beginning deliberations.
Its a good day for Garden City, a good day for Kansas and the United States to continue putting the message that our communities will not tolerate such nonsense or criminal behavior, Garden City Police Chief Michael Utz said after the verdict was announced.
If individuals hear something or see something they need to say something to stop this kind of activity … so we can prevent a death or mass casualties.
Adan Keynan, the owner of the African Shop in Garden City, said the verdict should make everyone in the community happy. He worried about the impact on the town if the men had been found not guilty.
Theres so many things going on in this country … injustices, he said. People were worried about (an acquittal). People would have been heartbroken.
Prosecutors said the three men planned to bomb the Garden City apartment complex, which also housed a mosque, the day after the 2016 presidential election to give America a forced wake-up call on dangers they believed were posed by immigrants. They were arrested in October 2016.
They wanted to send the message that Muslims are not welcome here not in Garden City, not in Kansas, not in America, prosecutor Risa Berkower said during the trial.
The key prosecution witness in the case was Dan Day, an FBI informant who recorded hours of conversation with the three men, who were part of the Kansas Security Force militia.
Day said he approached authorities after becoming increasingly concerned about the defendants discussions to kill Muslim immigrants.
They had set their minds on getting rid of all the Muslims, killing them, he testified during the trial.
The defense attorneys argued that Days recordings of the men talking didnt reflect a conspiracy, just banter and constitutionally protected free speech.
It is not morally right to hold such hate, but it is not legally wrong, said James Pratt, Steins attorney.
