A federal grand jury returned a three-count superseding indictment Thursday against the suspect accused of a “hate crime” in connection with the fire that destroyed a South Texas mosque in January.
Marq Vincent Perez, 25, a resident of Victoria, Texas, was indicted on three counts, most notably, for a “hate crime” in the January 28 fire that gutted the Victoria Islamic Center announced acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez along with officials from the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies.
Breitbart Texas obtained the indictment from the Victoria Division of the United States District Court of the Southern District of Texas. The first count they charged Perez with was “Hate Crime — Damage to Religious Property.” It carries a sentence of up to 20 years behind bars and up to a $250,000 fine. The second count, “Use of Fire to Commit a Federal Felony,” has a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine. The third count, “Possession of Unregistered Destructive Device,” carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and up to a $250,000 fine. If convicted on all charges, Perez faces up to 40 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.
On January 28, an early morning fire demolished the Victoria Islamic Center. According to a press release from the Victoria Division of the U.S. Attorney, authorities initially arrested and charged Perez on March 3 in for attempting to blow up a car with a destructive device. At a detention hearing held the following week, the court heard evidence linking Perez to a January 22 burglary at the Victoria mosque as well as a January 28 burglary and arson of the same Islamic center.
The Victoria Advocate reported that on March 3, authorities raided the suspect’s home finding homemade explosive devices. They also discovered electronics reported stolen from the mosque. A federal judge found him “a serious danger” to the community and a likely flight risk, so he ordered Perez to remain in U.S. Marshals’ custody.
A confidential informant also stepped forward and admitted to burglarizing the mosque with Perez on January 22 and January 28, according to the Victoria newspaper. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent Rick Miller, testified that based on social media messages made by Perez, it appeared the suspect monitored the Islamic Center before setting fire to it. Authorities also said Perez did not hide his disdain for Muslims in testimony he gave in March.
Reportedly, the mosque had 100 congregants. Immediately after the blaze, the community set up a GoFundMe account to cover the costs to rebuild the mosque. According to the Advocate, they raised more than $1 million dollars largely from international donors. The online fundraiser shows 23,220 donors contributed in four months. On May 26, mosque members celebrated the first night of Ramadan with a ground-breaking ceremony for the new Victoria Islamic Center expected to be built.
ATF and FBI conducted the investigation on this case along with the City of Victoria Fire Marshal’s Office, the Victoria Fire Department, Victoria Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety — Criminal Investigations Division, and the Texas Rangers with the assistance of Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office plus sheriff’s offices in Victoria and Nueces counties.
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US District Court Southern District of Texas, Perez Indictment – Victoria Islamic Center Fire by BreitbartTexas on Scribd
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