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Irvine Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Firebombing Planned Parenthood and Plotting Substation Attack
Federal Judge Hands Down 6-Year Sentence to 22-Year-Old Man
SANTA ANA, California — In a shocking case of domestic terrorism, 22-year-old Tibet Ergul of Irvine was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for firebombing a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa and plotting to attack an electrical substation in Orange.
Ergul, who pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to damage an energy facility and one misdemeanor count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility, will also have to pay $1,000 in restitution to the clinic.
According to court documents, Ergul and his accomplice, Chance Brannon, 24, of San Juan Capistrano, targeted the clinic in March 2022 because it provided reproductive health services and they wanted to encourage others to engage in similar violent acts.
The pair, who were disguised in dark clothing, masks, hoods, and gloves, drove to the clinic in the early morning hours of March 13 and threw a Molotov cocktail at the entrance, intentionally starting a fire. The fire and resulting damage forced the clinic to temporarily close and reschedule approximately 30 patient appointments.
Ergul further admitted in his plea agreement that he and Brannon planned to use a second Molotov cocktail to attack another Planned Parenthood clinic in June 2022, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. However, they abandoned this plan after seeing law enforcement near the targeted clinic.
The FBI and other law enforcement agencies were alerted to Ergul’s plans after he messaged an associate about surveillance, drone operations, and firearms. Ergul also sent the associate aerial photographs of the electrical substation and suggested doing a “drive-thru” at 3 a.m. The FBI and partners successfully prevented Ergul and Brannon from carrying out the attack.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada praised the interagency coordination that led to Ergul’s arrest and conviction. “This defendant’s hatred toward others led him to plotting and carrying out violence,” Estrada said. “We will not allow bigoted intolerance to divide us. My office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes motivated by hate in order to keep our community safe.”
Amir Ehsaei, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, added, “Mr. Ergul chose violence and destruction while targeting a wide array of innocent victims with whom he disagreed ideologically, putting their lives at risk.”
The case highlights the ongoing threat of domestic terrorism and the importance of law enforcement agencies working together to prevent and investigate such crimes.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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