Two Illinois men were sentenced to prison for their roles in the 2017 bombing of Dar al-Farooq (DAF) Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Michael McWhorter, 33, and Joe Morris, 26, both of Clarence, Illinois, were sentenced to 190 months and 170 months in prison, respectively.
On Jan. 24, 2019, McWhorter and Morris pleaded guilty in the District of Minnesota to federal charges, which originated in both the District of Minnesota and the Central District of Illinois. The charges included intentionally obstructing, and attempting to obstruct, by force and the threat of force, the free exercise of religious beliefs; carrying and using a destructive device during and in relation to crimes of violence; possession of a machine gun; conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats and violence; and attempted arson.
The pleas to the charges originating in the Central District of Illinois were entered in Minnesota pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 20, which allows for the transfer of charges for the entry of guilty pleas and the imposition of sentence.
McWhorter and Morris were recruited by Emily Claire Hari, 51, formerly known as Michael Hari, to join a terrorist militia group called The White Rabbits in the summer of 2017. According to court documents, Hari recruited McWhorter and Morris to join the militia, which Hari outfitted with paramilitary equipment and assault rifles.
On Aug. 5, 2017, Hari, McWhorter and Morris drove in a rented pickup truck from Illinois to Bloomington, Minnesota, to bomb the DAF Islamic Center. About an hour outside of Minnesota, Hari disclosed to McWhorter and Morris that there was a pipe bomb in the truck and that they were going to bomb a mosque.
According to court documents, Hari, McWhorter and Morris arrived at DAF at approximately 5:00 a.m. on Aug. 5, 2017. Morris used a sledgehammer to knock out a window, and McWhorter planted the pipe bomb inside the building.
“McWhorter and Morris carried out a violent plan to attack a house of worship as people peacefully prayed inside,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “In the United States, all people have a right to exercise their faith freely. The Justice Department will vigorously prosecute domestic terrorists who carry out acts of violence to suppress those rights or threaten and intimidate others based on their religious identity.”
Defendant: Michael McWhorter
Criminal Charges: Intentionally obstructing, and attempting to obstruct, by force and the threat of force, the free exercise of religious beliefs; carrying and using a destructive device during and in relation to crimes of violence; possession of a machine gun; conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats and violence; and attempted arson
Location: Clarence, Illinois/ Bloomington, Minnesota
Date: Jan. 24, 2019
Sentence: 190 months in prison
Related Federal Cases
- Michael McWhorter, Mosque Bombing, MN 2017 · Illinois
- Griffin Michael, Embezzlement, Illinois 2020 · Illinois
- Michael B. Hari, Machine Gun Possession, Illinois 2023 · Illinois
- Illinois Crimes: Blood on the Prairie in 1937 · Illinois
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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