A supporter of Hamas known for his domestic terrorism has received a sentence exceeding 19 years in prison for setting fire to a campus at the University of California and throwing lit Molotov cocktails at a federal courthouse.
Casey Goonan, aged 35, was sentenced earlier this week due to a series of attacks inspired by Hamas that took place last June at the University of California, Berkeley, and at a federal facility in Oakland.
In January, Goonan entered a guilty plea for the malicious destruction of property, acknowledging that his alarming actions were intended to support the Palestinian cause and were motivated by Hamas’ terror attacks on October 7.
“This individual, labeled a domestic terrorist, could have caused immeasurable harm if his violent acts had been successful, and his motivation drawn from the actions of Hamas highlights his moral depravity,” stated Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
The anti-Israel activist and academic was recorded placing a bag containing six explosives under a University of California Police Department patrol vehicle stationed near the UC Berkeley campus.
He set the bag ablaze and fled the scene as the vehicle erupted in flames, according to court documents.
Days later, he attempted to firebomb the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and Courthouse in Oakland, as documented in court records.
Initially, he tried to break the building’s windows with rocks to toss in the Molotov cocktails but was prevented by security measures.
Instead, he resorted to throwing the explosives into a planter beside the building and ignited them.
Goonan also ignited a series of other fires on the UC Berkeley campus during that period while urging others to engage in similar anti-Israel violence, prosecutors indicated.
“He is destined to spend many long years behind bars contemplating his actions while the Department of Justice continues to combat political violence throughout the nation,” Bondi added.
