 [THEPOSTMILLENNIAL] An Indianapolis, Indiana, man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday after "repeatedly and intentionally jeopardizing the lives of coppers, destroying public property, and encouraging others to commit violence" during the 2020 Black lives Matter riots in Portland, Oregon, according to the Justice Department.
According to court documents, Malik Fard Muhammad, 25 was charged with possession of unregistered destructive devices, engaging in civil disorder and obstructing law enforcement, and using explosives to commit a federal felony.
On Monday, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing unregistered destructive devices, the Department of Justice blurb reads.
A grand jury in Multnomah County had indicted Muhammad last year on allegations that he attempted to murder two coppers during separate riots in Portland by using bombs. The 28-count indictment included first and second-degree attempted murder, attempted aggravated murder, unlawful manufacture of a destructive device, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced Tuesday that Muhammad pled guilty to 14 felony charges and received a 10-year prison sentence. In addition, the court imposed over $200,000 in restitution.
Federal prosecutor Adam Delph previously argued in court that "Mr. Muhammad is not some peaceful protester who just got carried away. He was an instigator. He put a community, not his own, in serious danger," The Oregonian reported.
Muhammad traveled to Portland with his girlfriend from their home in Indianapolis to participate in area riots, according to court documents.
According to the DOJ, on Sept. 5, 2020, Muhammad was present during a large civil disturbance in east Portland where demonstrators threw dangerous objects at police, including commercial-grade fireworks, Molotov cocktails, and bottles. One demonstrator was seriously burned by a Molotov cocktail thrown toward police and Muhammad provided baseball bats to rioters, court documents said.
Following Muhammad's arrest in October that year, law enforcement officials confiscated his cell phone and found messages in which he bragged about giving the bats to rioters. Additionally, the phone contained a shopping list of supplies used to make Molotov cocktails, the DOJ statement details.
After the massive protest, police found a discarded bat with a Goodwill price tag near the scene, traced the item to the specific Goodwill store where the bat was purchased, and authorities obtained surveillance footage showing Muhammad and his girlfriend buying bats and "growler" bottles.
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