Man threatened churches with fake bombs, faces prison
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A federal jury has convicted Zimnako Salah, a 45-year-old Phoenix resident, on multiple charges related to orchestrating anti-Christian bomb threats targeting religious institutions across three states, driven by religious prejudice.
The verdict, delivered Thursday after an extensive 11-day trial, determined that Salah deliberately placed a suspicious backpack in a Roseville, California church bathroom, creating a simulated explosive threat designed to instill fear in worshippers.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed a disturbing pattern of behavior between September and November 2023, during which Salah targeted four different churches throughout Arizona, California, and Colorado. In two instances, he successfully planted backpacks that caused significant distress among church members, while security measures prevented similar attempts at the remaining locations.
After an 11-day trial, Zimnako Salah, 45, of Phoenix, AZ, was found guilty & convicted of strapping a backpack around the toilet of a Christian church in Roseville with the intent to convey a hoax bomb threat & obstruct the free exercise of religion: https://t.co/uf2JguTUbB pic.twitter.com/xJEi33IvEk
— FBI Sacramento (@FBISacramento) April 7, 2025
The investigation uncovered an even more sinister aspect of Salah’s activities. Trial testimony revealed he had been actively assembling components for a genuine explosive device, with FBI bomb specialists discovering materials for an improvised explosive device (IED) in his rented storage facility.
Further evidence showed Salah’s digital footprint included extensive consumption of extremist Islamist content, with his search history revealing queries for “infidels dying” and footage of ISIS executions of civilians.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, “This Department of Justice has no tolerance for anyone who targets religious Americans for their faith.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California emphasized, “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. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of federal and local law enforcement and the attorneys from my office and our DOJ partners in Washington D.C., our communities are safer with yesterday’s verdict. People of all religions should be able to worship freely and exercise their First Amendment rights in this country without fear of violence.”
We welcome the conviction, including the federal hate crime charge, for Zimnako Salah. All individuals should be able to worship freely, without fear or intimidation. This case is an important reminder to report suspicious activity. https://t.co/9eWZeSW0C4 via @CBSNewsColorado
— ADL Mountain States (@ADLMtnStates) April 7, 2025
FBI Sacramento Field Office Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel commented, “The Sacramento Division of the FBI is proud of our collaboration with 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 and disrupt the peace of our communities. The FBI remains committed to protecting the American people and will continue to work within the confines of the law to hold individuals accountable for acts of terrorism whether those acts are true threats or intended as hoaxes.”
Salah faces potential imprisonment of up to six years and monetary penalties reaching $250,000. U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins will determine his sentence on July 18.
