Salah Gets 6 Years for Church Bomb Plot

SACRAMENTO, CA – Zimnako Salah, 46, of Phoenix, Arizona, will spend the next six years behind bars after being sentenced today for a calculated plot to terrorize Christian churches across three states. A federal jury in Sacramento convicted Salah in March 2025 of planting hoax bomb threats and, critically, determined the acts were motivated by religious hate.

The evidence presented at trial painted a chilling picture of Salah’s escalating radicalization and intent. From September to November 2023, Salah traveled to four churches in Arizona, California, and Colorado, each time carrying a black backpack. He successfully planted these backpacks – designed to appear as improvised explosive devices – at two locations, sparking fear among congregants. At the other two, alert security personnel intervened before he could complete his sinister task. The planted devices were, thankfully, hoaxes, but the intent to cause mass panic and potential harm was clear.

But the backpack stunts were merely a prelude to a far more dangerous ambition. Simultaneously, while deploying the fake bombs, Salah was actively constructing a real IED capable of being carried in a backpack. A search of his storage unit uncovered component parts of the device, confirmed by FBI bomb experts. This wasn’t just about fear; it was about building the means to inflict real devastation. Investigators also dug into Salah’s digital footprint, revealing a disturbing pattern of extremist propaganda consumption. His online searches included graphic videos of violence against non-believers, and he obsessively watched ISIS terrorist content.

Days before carrying out his scheme, Salah recorded a chilling cellphone video declaring, “America. We are going to destroy it.” This wasn’t random violence; it was a targeted attack rooted in religious animus. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division minced no words: “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who target people because of their faith will face the full force of federal law.”

U.S. Attorney Eric Grant emphasized the potential consequences had Salah succeeded. “Salah’s seeming ultimate goal to bomb a Christian church would have resulted in many deaths and injuries if his plan had not been thwarted,” Grant stated. “Thanks to the action of church security, local law enforcement, and the FBI, this defendant was stopped before he had a chance to carry out the crimes he sought to commit.” FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel added, “The FBI has zero tolerance for those who target Americans based on their religious beliefs.”

The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Roseville Police Department, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Harbor Police Department, and the Arapahoe County (CO) Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Kenny for the Eastern District of California. Salah’s sentence serves as a stark reminder that threats against religious institutions will be met with swift and decisive justice.

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