In Orlando, Florida, a 44-year-old Jordanian man named Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen has been sentenced to six years imprisonment for causing extensive damage to a solar power establishment and vandalizing several private enterprises based on their presumed support for Israel. Hnaihen was sentenced in the Orlando federal court following his guilty plea in December to charges of threatening to use explosives and the destruction of an energy facility. A forthcoming restitution hearing will address the over $450,000 in damages incurred.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Gregory W. Kehoe, actions involving threats of mass violence and targeting businesses or establishments for destruction are unequivocally unacceptable. This stern stance underscores the serious nature of Hnaihen’s offenses against both individual businesses and broader societal safety.
Court documents reveal that in June of the previous year, Hnaihen adopted a routine of visiting businesses at night, donning a mask, and breaking their front doors. Prosecutors stated that he left behind “warning letters” addressed to the U.S. government in which he voiced political demands, culminating in threats to destroy or bomb properties across America, particularly targeting enterprises that support what he termed the “racist state of Israel.”
Towards the end of June, Hnaihen infiltrated a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, where officials say he spent hours deliberately destroying solar panel arrays. Additional copies of his ominous warning letters were discovered at the scene.
Following a comprehensive, multi-agency investigation, Hnaihen was apprehended on July 11 on local charges after yet another warning letter was found at an industrial propane gas distribution facility in Orlando. He was eventually handed over to federal authorities following his indictment, marking a pivotal moment in addressing and resolving this sequence of criminal activities.