An Ohio man was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Tuesday for attempting to burn down a church last year that planned to host drag show events, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Aimenn Penny, 20, was arrested and charged in March after he threw two Molotov cocktails at the Community Church of Chesterland (CCC) in Chesterland, Ohio.
According to court documents, Mr. Penny was also accused of breaking a sign outside the building and leaving scorch marks on the church’s front door.
He pleaded guilty on Oct. 20, 2023, to the church arson hate crime, as well as the use of fire and explosives to commit the felony, according to a statement released by the DOJ on Jan. 30.
Mr. Penny has admitted to “using force through fire and explosives, intending to obstruct CCC congregants in their enjoyment and expression of their religious beliefs,” the statement reads.
In addition to his 18-year jail sentence, the court also sentenced Mr. Penny to three years of supervised release.
“This sentence holds Mr. Penny accountable for carrying out violence against an Ohio church because he disagreed with the way congregants chose to express their beliefs,” assistant attorney general Matthew Olsen of the DOJ’s National Security Division stated.
Church Responds
In a Facebook post, the church expressed relief at finally being able to “embrace some closure to what happened last year” but emphasized it does not celebrate Mr. Penny’s sentence.“It is a tragedy that ignorance and hate is going to put this young man’s life on hold for almost 20 years,” the church stated.
“It is also tragic that progressive churches, synagogues, and mosques must expend so much energy and resources on vigilance against the violence of small-minded people.
“These are frightening times. We took a hit, it forced us to evaluate the safety of our congregation, we made necessary investments and changes, and we are coming out of this past year as determined as ever to serve underrepresented communities,” it added.
Mr. Penny said he “became more and more angry after watching internet videos of news feeds and drag shows in France and decided to attack the church,” the document reads.
He also said he “would have felt better if the Molotov cocktails were more effective and burned the entire church to the ground,” it added.
His arrest came through a joint effort by the FBI Cleveland Field Office and the local police departments that had been noticing him attending protests against drag queen story hour events since 2022, according to the court filings.
