Chattanooga Man Convicted in Mosque Burn Plot

Robert Doggart, 65, of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, was convicted today by a federal jury on multiple charges tied to a violent plot to burn down a mosque in Islamberg, New York—a small hamlet with a significant Muslim population. The verdict, delivered in the Eastern District of Tennessee, marks a rare federal prosecution of domestic terrorism motivated by religious hate, with Doggart found guilty of soliciting another person to violate civil rights laws, soliciting arson, and two counts of threatening to destroy property by fire or explosive.

Between February and April 2015, Doggart meticulously planned an armed assault on the Islamberg community, targeting its mosque, school, and cafeteria. Evidence presented at trial revealed he used Facebook, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings to recruit others to join his attack. He specifically focused on the mosque as a religious symbol, discussing methods to burn it down or destroy it with Molotov cocktails and other explosives—actions prosecutors say were designed to terrorize an entire faith community.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated, “The Defendant sought out others to join him in a violent attack on a community of men, women, and children because of their religion.” He emphasized that the jury’s decision upholds federal protections for religious freedom and sends a clear message: attacks on places of worship will not be tolerated.

U.S. Attorney Nancy Stallard Harr of the Eastern District of Tennessee called the case a moral reckoning for the Chattanooga area, still recovering from a deadly domestic terror attack 18 months prior. “Our nation cannot tolerate threats by those who are willing to kill innocent children, women and men who do not share their religious beliefs or philosophy,” Harr said. She praised the jury for their careful two-day deliberation and called the verdict a reaffirmation of American values.

FBI Knoxville Division Special Agent in Charge Renae McDermott credited interagency cooperation for stopping Doggart before violence erupted. “The coordinated efforts of FBI Knoxville and Columbia, the USAO Eastern District of Tennessee, and DOJ were successful in proactively preventing this individual from carrying out his plans.” Investigators played key recorded calls during the trial, including one where Doggart said, “I don’t want to have to kill children, but there’s always collateral damage,” and another where he confirmed his weapons were meant for killing people, not hunting.

Doggart now faces a maximum of 10 years in prison on each of the four counts. Sentencing is scheduled for May 31, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Knoxville Division and prosecuted by Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Saeed A. Mody and Assistant U.S. Attorney Perry H. Piper.

RELATED: Steven Dale Audette Gets 20 Years for $3.5M Mafia Scam

RELATED: Wesley Ryan, Rachael Boyett Sentenced in Child Porn Case