Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, a Jordanian citizen residing in Orlando, Florida, is charged with four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility. At his detention hearing yesterday, Hnaihen was ordered detained pending trial.
“We allege that the defendant threatened to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by a desire to target businesses for their perceived support of Israel,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Such acts and threats of violence, whether they are targeting the places that Americans frequent every day or our country’s critical infrastructure, are extremely dangerous and will not be tolerated by the Justice Department.”
“Under the guise of expressing his beliefs, the defendant allegedly attacked a power facility and threatened local businesses, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Violence and destruction of property to threaten and intimidate others will never be tolerated. The FBI and our partners will work together to pursue and hold accountable those who resort to violence.”
“Targeting and attacking businesses for perceived beliefs is unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and federally prosecute those who make violent or hate-based threats and who seek to act on these threats.”
According to court documents, beginning around June 2024, Hnaihen targeted and attacked businesses in the Orlando area for their perceived support for Israel. Wearing a mask under the cover of night, Hnaihen smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind “Warning Letters.”
In his letters addressed to the United States government, Hnaihen laid out a series of political demands culminating in a threat to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”
Hnaihen’s attacks escalated at the end of June when he broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida. He spent hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays by smashing panels, cutting wires, and targeting critical electronic equipment. Hnaihen left behind two more copies of his threatening demand letter. He is believed to have caused more than $700,000 in damage.
Following a multiagency effort, law enforcement identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11 shortly after another “Warning Letter” threatening to “destroy or explode everything” was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.
Hnaihen faces four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison for each threat offense and up to 20 years for the destruction offense.
The FBI and Orange County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case with assistance from Maitland Police Department, Winter Park Police Department, and Orlando Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan for the Middle District of Florida is prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorneys Ryan White and George Kraehe from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.