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| Dustin Allen Hughes, 26, faces 10 years in prison. Photo courtesy of Broward County Sheriff's Office |
By Ray Downs, UPI
Federal prosecutors charged a Florida man Tuesday for threatening to bomb a mosque.
Dustin Allen Hughes, 26, of Cutler Bay, Fla., is charged with willfully making a bomb threat by telephone and faces 10 years in prison if convicted.
According to prosecutors, Hughes called the Jamaet Ul Muttaqueen Mosque in Pembroke Pines, Fla. on May 5 and left a threatening voicemail message.
"I planted a bomb in your temple, I'm gonna blow your [expletive] temple up you [expletive] Muslim," Hughes is accused of saying. "Where you guys have your sanctuary and worship Allah, I'm gonna blow that mother [expletive] up."
Hughes allegedly said he had a remote device he will use to detonate the bomb.
"You guys are all gonna be up in flames after I'm done with you!" Hughes is accused of saying in the voicemail.
Prosecutors say Hughes left three more voicemails with similar threats over the next few days.
On Tuesday, federal agents arrested Hughes at his home.
"Hughes admitted placing that call and others to the Mosque that also were threatening in nature," prosecutors said in a statement. "Hughes also indicated that he had left the messages because he had wanted to make members of the Mosque scared and upset."
The Florida Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations commended the arrest of Hughes.
"It is shameful and alarming to continue witnessing an increment in hate crimes against Florida Muslims and their places of worship and education," CAIR said in a statement.
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