Joseph Michael Schreiber, 32, is facing at least 30 years in prison as a repeat offender and “could ultimately be sentenced” to life in prison for setting ablaze the Fort Pierce Islamic Center on Friday night, David Thompson of St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office told reporters.
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A Florida man has been arrested in the alleged arson of the mosque that Orlando shooter Omar Mateen attended in the lead up to the Pulse nightclub massacre.
The fire broke out after the nation marked the 15th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, and investigators found social media posts referencing the anniversary, as well as Facebook posts containing what Thompson called “anti-Islamic propaganda”.
The mosque’s surveillance video shows a man in a wide-brimmed military hat arriving outside the building by motorcycle at 11:38 p.m., carrying what appeared to be paper and a bottle of liquid, the sheriff’s office said.
Federal authorities are also investigating the fire for any potential violations of federal law, USA officials said.
If convicted, Schreiber faces 30 years in prison.
He served his first term from 2008-09 and his second stretch from 2010-14.
The Florida director of an Islamic advocacy group said it’s disconcerting that a mosque was set on fire on one of the two biggest holidays on the Muslim calendar.
Schreiber could also be charged with a civil rights violation as the investigation continues, according to the FBI. Schreiber’s father waited on the other side of the roadblock, along with Rabbi Bruce Benson, as deputies sifted through the home. “If we could all talk a bit, maybe things like this wouldn’t have to happen”.
The fire was part of an escalating series of threats and violence perpetuated against the mosque and its members, said Wilfredo Amr Ruiz, a Florida spokesman for the Council of American-Islamic Relations.
Mosque leaders say they’ve gotten several calls from people offering their support.
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According to Islamic Center of Fort Pierce Assistant Imam Hamaad Rahman, the Muslim community is more than a building and this tragedy will bring them closer.
