Zimnako Salah, a 46-year-old resident of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to six years in prison for his involvement in a plot targeting Christian churches. The sentencing follows his conviction in March 2025 by a jury in Sacramento.
The case centered on an incident at a church in Roseville, California, where Salah strapped a backpack around the toilet with the intention of conveying a hoax bomb threat and obstructing the free exercise of religion. The jury determined that Salah targeted the church because of the religion of its congregants, classifying the offense as a hate crime.
Evidence presented at trial showed that between September and November 2023, Salah traveled to four Christian churches located in Arizona, California, and Colorado while carrying black backpacks. At two churches, he planted these backpacks and caused fear among congregants that they might contain explosives. At two other locations, security personnel confronted him before he could plant any devices.
Investigators found that during this period Salah was constructing a bomb capable of fitting inside a backpack. An FBI Bomb Technician recovered items from his storage unit that were identified by an expert as components for an improvised explosive device.
Further examination of Salah’s social media activity revealed exposure to extremist content. He had searched for videos depicting violence against non-believers and watched footage showing ISIS terrorists committing murders. In one cellphone video recorded days before his crimes, Salah stated: “America. We are going to destroy it.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who target people because of their faith will face the full force of federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to protect the rights of all people of faith to worship and live free from fear, and we will hold accountable anyone who threatens or harms them.”
“Salah’s seeming ultimate goal to bomb a Christian church would have resulted in many deaths and injuries if his plan had not been thwarted,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. “Thanks to the action of church security, local law enforcement, and the FBI, this defendant was stopped before he had a chance to carry out the crimes he sought to commit. Today’s sentence is justified by the history and characteristics of this defendant and serves to protect the public from this defendant. And it affirms that people of all religions should be able to worship freely and exercise their First Amendment rights in this country without fear of violence.”
“The FBI has zero tolerance for those who target Americans based on their religious beliefs,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Salah sought to instill fear and disrupt Christian communities across California, Colorado, and Arizona. We are grateful for the cooperation of these churches and communities, which were vital in the investigation that led to Salah’s arrest and conviction. Today’s sentencing highlights the collective efforts of law enforcement and vigilant Americans in preventing this act of terrorism.”
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Roseville Police Department, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Harbor Police Department, and Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado. The prosecution team consisted of Special Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Kenny for the Eastern District of California.
