Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
A federal jury in Sacramento, California, has found Zimnako Salah, 45, guilty of conveying a hoax bomb threat and interfering with the religious exercise of a Christian church's congregants in Roseville. Salah, from Phoenix, Arizona, was also convicted of committing a hate crime as he specifically targeted the church due to its congregation's religious beliefs. The verdict, reached after an 11-day trial, included a special finding regarding the hate crime.
Evidence presented in the trial revealed that Salah had visited four Christian churches in Arizona, California, and Colorado between September and November 2023, wearing black backpacks. He managed to plant backpacks at two of these locations, creating fear among congregants that they might explode. Security confronted him at the other two churches before he could plant the backpacks.
Authorities discovered that while Salah was threatening churches with hoax bombs, he was also constructing an actual bomb capable of fitting in a backpack. Components for an improvised explosive device (IED) were seized from his storage unit by an FBI Bomb Technician. Furthermore, Salah's social media records showed he had consumed extremist propaganda and searched for violent videos online.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi commented on the verdict, saying, "This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith. The perpetrator of this abhorrent hate crime against Christians will face severe punishment."
Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith stated, “Planting a hoax bomb at the Roseville church was not an isolated incident or a prank for this defendant. His actions were designed to threaten and intimidate the congregation because he disagreed with their religious beliefs."
Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI noted, "The Sacramento Division of the FBI is proud of our collaboration with our local partners in bringing Mr. Salah to justice. His deliberate targeting of multiple places of worship and calculated efforts to spread panic were intended to terrorize people of faith."
Salah's sentencing is scheduled for July 18, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins. He faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The final sentence will be determined by the court, considering statutory factors and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with support from multiple local law enforcement agencies. The case is prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras, Trial Attorney Sarah Howard, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Kenny.
