{"id":2491341,"date":"2025-09-26T05:38:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T09:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-makes-example-out-of-antifa-arsonist-in-federal-firebombing-case\/"},"modified":"2025-09-26T05:42:24","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T09:42:24","slug":"judge-makes-example-out-of-antifa-arsonist-in-federal-firebombing-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-makes-example-out-of-antifa-arsonist-in-federal-firebombing-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge makes example out of antifa arsonist in federal firebombing case"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjudge-makes-example-out-of-antifa-arsonist-in-federal-firebombing-case%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2491341&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article reports on the sentencing of Casey Robert Goonan, a serial arsonist with ties to antifa, who was given nearly 20 years in federal prison for firebombing a California police patrol car and attempting to firebomb a federal courthouse. Goonan, described as a &#8220;nonbinary&#8221; co-founder of a radical-left publishing collective, admitted to carrying out multiple arson attacks inspired by support for Palestine and influenced by Hamas terrorists.<\/p>\n<p>This 19-year sentence is the longest to date for a federal defendant associated with antifa and reflects heightened government efforts under the Trump governance to crack down on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/now-we-know-alleged-murderer-of-dc-jewish-couple-was-a-leftists-dream-come-true-just-look-at-his-messages\/\" title=\"Now We Know: Alleged Murderer of DC Jewish Couple Was a Leftist...s Dream Come True - Just Look at His Messages\">political violence linked<\/a> to antifa,wich has been designated a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fmr-gov-cuomo-grants-clemency-to-weather-underground-member\/\" title=\"Fmr. Gov. Cuomo grants clemency to Weather Underground member\">domestic terrorist organization<\/a>. Judge Jeffrey S. White imposed a harsher sentence than prosecutors sought, emphasizing that terrorism cannot be tolerated.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors highlighted Goonan&#8217;s continued communications advocating political violence and requested his placement in a communications management unit for close monitoring. After sentencing, supporters launched legal defense fundraising efforts, arguing Goonan is a political prisoner.<\/p>\n<p>Goonan&#8217;s defense attorneys portrayed him as a political activist who went too far, focusing on raising awareness about Palestinian issues and political prisoners. Goonan holds a PhD in African American studies and wrote his doctoral dissertation on prison abolition. The article also details the specific attacks, including the ignition of Molotov cocktails on a UC Berkeley police car and an attempted attack on a federal courthouse in Oakland. <br \/> <!DOCTYPE html><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">&lsquo;Terrorism cannot be tolerated&rsquo;: Judge makes example out of antifa arsonist in federal firebombing case<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2234547\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A serial arsonist with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/antifa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">antifa<\/a> ties was sentenced Tuesday to nearly two decades in federal prison for firebombing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/California\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">California<\/a> police patrol car and attempting to torch a federal courthouse.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-ndca\/pr\/domestic-terrorist-sentenced-more-19-years-prison-firebombing-university-police-car\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">19-year prison sentence<\/a> marks the longest one to date for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3470089\/antifa-tracker-far-left-activists-who-face-federal-charges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an antifa-associated federal defendant<\/a>. This comes as the Trump administration continues to crack down on criminal antifa activity, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3819445\/trump-executive-order-antifa-domestic-terrorist-organization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">now deemed<\/a> domestic terrorism amid mounting political violence concerns.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3825123\/ice-shooting-dallas-terrorism-joshua-jahn\/\">ICE shooting in Dallas is &#8216;very definition of terrorism&#8217;: US Attorney<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3824568\/dallas-shooting-suspect-joshua-jahn-ice-agents-real-terror-fbi\/\">Dallas shooting suspect Joshua Jahn wanted to &#8216;give ICE agents real terror&#8217;: FBI<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3824242\/kerri-and-kaylee-rollo-defaced-charlie-kirk-memorial-fundraiser-surpasses-initial-goal\/\">Fundraiser for women who defaced Kirk memorial surpasses initial goal<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Casey Robert Goonan, the &ldquo;nonbinary&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/trueleappress.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/propnos_final-draft-two-page.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">co-founder<\/a> of True Leap Press, a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >radical-left publishing collective pushing anarcho-communist propaganda<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-ndca\/pr\/east-bay-arsonist-admits-attempting-firebomb-oakland-federal-building-and-firebombing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pled guilty<\/a> in January to malicious property destruction by means of fire or an explosive. Goonan, who said he was inspired by the Hamas terrorists attacking Israel, confessed to carrying out a string of arson attacks last summer in support of Palestine.<\/p>\n<p>According to investigators in the FBI&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/matthew-dowd-we-have-an-active-domestic-terrorism-problem-facilitated-by-trump\/\" title=\"Matthew Dowd: We Have an &#039;Active Domestic ... Problem&#039; Facilitated by Trump\">domestic terrorism unit<\/a>, he had <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250122010525\/https:\/\/abolitionmedia.noblogs.org\/8566\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">posted pictures<\/a> of his pro-Palestine handiwork on an anarchist blog, urging others to join the &ldquo;student intifada&rdquo; and commit similar acts &ldquo;for Palestine&rdquo; on Bay Area college campuses. Antifa militants often pseudonymously post on such websites to claim responsibility for terrorist attacks targeting law enforcement and government property.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3819445\/trump-executive-order-antifa-domestic-terrorist-organization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER DECLARING ANTIFA A DOMESTIC TERRORIST ORGANIZATION<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As part of a plea deal, Goonan agreed to the court applying <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ussc.gov\/guidelines\/guidelines-archive\/2012-3a14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the terrorism enhancement<\/a> at sentencing.<\/p>\n<p>This week, Judge Jeffrey S. White gave Goonan a harsher sentence than prosecutors sought, three more years tacked on, as opposed to what was originally requested, and a few months short of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/18\/844\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the maximum allowed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>White, a Bush appointee, said Goonan&rsquo;s punishment serves as a deterrent warning that &ldquo;acts of terrorism cannot be tolerated in this or any court.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>During oral arguments, prosecutors <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kqed.org\/news\/12057272\/uc-berkeley-cop-car-firebomber-receives-nearly-20-years-in-prison\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reportedly<\/a> asked the court to consider the rise of &ldquo;endemic political violence&rdquo; in America and cited the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mugshot of Casey Robert Goonan | Alameda County Sheriff&rsquo;s Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Prosecutors initially only wanted a 16-year prison term, raising concerns with Goonan, whom they characterized as a &ldquo;narcissistic violent ideologue,&rdquo; inciting further political violence.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Individuals who Goonan seeks to inspire by his actions &mdash; those who he seeks to have consider him a political prisoner and a &lsquo;martyr&rsquo; &mdash; must know that following in his footsteps will lead to a lengthy term of imprisonment,&rdquo; read the government&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.cand.433081\/gov.uscourts.cand.433081.60.0_1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sentencing request<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>White granted the prosecution&rsquo;s petition to place Goonan within a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bop.gov\/policy\/progstat\/5214_002.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">communications management unit<\/a>, which allows prison personnel to closely monitor contact between inmates and those on the outside.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors pointed to &ldquo;voluminous correspondence&rdquo; Goonan sent and received while in pretrial custody.&nbsp;According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.cand.433081\/gov.uscourts.cand.433081.60.0_1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sentencing memorandum<\/a>, much of that correspondence concerned &ldquo;his use of violence to achieve political ends.&rdquo; Officials said Goonan&rsquo;s communications with &ldquo;like-minded individuals&rdquo; demonstrate that he &ldquo;shows no remorse for his actions, seeks to aggrandize himself, and seeks the assistance of others in spreading his message of political violence.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>White also ordered Goonan to serve 15 years of supervised release, with special conditions limiting his Internet use and banning anonymous online services.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3470089\/antifa-tracker-far-left-activists-who-face-federal-charges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>ANTIFA TRACKER: THE FAR-LEFT ACTIVISTS WHO FACE FEDERAL CHARGES UNDER TRUMP&rsquo;S DOJ<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Following sentencing, antifa allies are <a href=\"https:\/\/theanarchistlibrary.org\/library\/anonymous-freecaseynow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">issuing<\/a> calls to <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250330000927\/https:\/\/abolitionmedia.noblogs.org\/9865\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&ldquo;Free Casey&rdquo;<\/a> from federal incarceration, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bellyzine.net\/essays\/statement-of-solidarity-with-casey-goonan-by-stevie-wilson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">claiming<\/a> that he is being &ldquo;held captive by the prison-industrial complex.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Supporters set up <a href=\"https:\/\/chuffed.org\/project\/supportcasey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-justice-department-pick-opposed-enforcing-civil-rights-laws-against-blacks\/\" title=\"Biden Justice Department Pick Opposed Enforcing Civil Rights Laws Against Blacks\">legal defense fund<\/a><\/a> on Chuffed.org, a fundraising platform primarily financing social justice causes. The effort raised over $54,000 for Goonan, who must pay more than $94,000 in restitution. A post-conviction update on the campaign says the remaining money will go toward assisting Goonan with &ldquo;a broader set of financial burdens beyond legal expenses,&rdquo; such as commissary, communication costs, and &ldquo;other needs.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/transgenderlawcenter.org\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Transgender Law Center<\/a>, which has been corresponding with Goonan, entered the case as an interested third-party on his behalf.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The bottom line of this case is that it&rsquo;s property destruction, and nobody was harmed,&rdquo; one of Goonan&rsquo;s defense attorneys, Jeff Wozniak, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kqed.org\/news\/12057272\/uc-berkeley-cop-car-firebomber-receives-nearly-20-years-in-prison\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> San Francisco-based PBS affiliate KQED.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleyscanner.com\/2024\/07\/11\/uc-berkeley-crime\/casey-goonan-uc-berkeley-firebomb-arson-federal-complaint\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">charging documents<\/a>, in the early hours of June 1, 2024, Goonan placed a bag containing six explosive devices, commonly known as &ldquo;Molotov cocktails,&rdquo; underneath the fuel tank of a marked University of California Police Department patrol car parked near the Berkeley campus. Goonan then lit the bag, causing the patrol car to catch on fire.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A photograph of the torched University of California Police Department patrol car was posted to Abolition Media, an anarchist blog.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Goonan also attempted to firebomb the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsa.gov\/about-us\/gsa-regions\/region-9-pacific-rim\/buildings-and-facilities\/california\/ronald-v-dellums-federal-buildingcourthouse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse<\/a> in downtown Oakland on June 11, 2024. He hurled rocks at the building, hoping to break a window in order to throw lighted Molotov cocktails inside. However, protective services officers disrupted his plan. As he fled from the scene, Goonan placed the Molotov cocktails in a planter on the side of the office building and ignited them.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to these two attacks, Goonan set other fires that month on the UC Berkeley campus, including on June 1, June 13, and June 16.<\/p>\n<p>Wozniak argued that Goonan, a self-described &ldquo;scholar activist,&rdquo; was involved with community organizing and simply &ldquo;went too far.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Casey&rsquo;s desire to raise awareness about the ongoing genocide and the U.S. support of that genocide in Gaza remains steadfast,&rdquo; Wozniak added. &ldquo;Their focus on Palestinian liberation remains, and they will continue to raise awareness from the inside about these pressing issues and, of course, the issues facing political prisoners all across this country.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Goonan, who has <a href=\"https:\/\/muse.jhu.edu\/pub\/26\/article\/714123\/pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a PhD in African American studies<\/a> from Northwestern University, wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.proquest.com\/openview\/2c1287191a10b546cf430ad50dadcfc1\/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&amp;cbl=18750&amp;diss=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">his doctoral dissertation<\/a> on the movement to abolish all prisons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Judge: &#8216;Terrorism can&#8217;t be tolerated&#8217;-antifa arsonist jailed 19 years<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3767,"featured_media":2491342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-collage-61zdaczwm-1758835036537.jpg?1758821722&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3802,53430,42306,22983,50433],"class_list":["post-2491341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-antifa","tag-arsonist","tag-federal-case","tag-firebombing","tag-judge-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-collage-61zdaczwm-1758835036537.jpg?1758821722&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2491341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3767"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2491341"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2491341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2491345,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2491341\/revisions\/2491345"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2491342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2491341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2491341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2491341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}