Islam Times - US Man Suspected of Attacking Mosque and Temple Indicted

Islam Times - Ray Lazier Lengend, the man accused of firebombing a Mosque and a Hindu Temple in the NYC suburb of Queens in January, is now facing multiple indictments from the authorities according to reports...

The federal indictment of 7 counts coupled with 36-state count indictments charged against Lengend revolve primarily around hate-crime and explosives offenses.

"Hate crimes offend the very principles upon which this country was founded, and those who engage in such conduct will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This defendant allegedly sought to fan the flames of ethnic and religious tension. Those flames will always be extinguished by the rule of law," said U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch.

Lengend, a 40-year old truck driver from Queens who confessed to the firebombing spree back in January, reportedly already owns a crime-ridden criminal record.

New York City police said Wednesday that Lengend had been arrested at least six times before they detained him in connection with a series of attacks that spanned two neighborhoods in the city.

Police say the attacks are thought to stem from a list of grievances he tallied against his alleged victims over the course of a few years. The gripes range from Islamic center personnel refusing him use of their bathroom to a grocer who caught him stealing.

Police also spoke of his violent conduct towards minorities in general, with reports of attacks on the Jamaican, Islamic and Hindu community of Queens being the most prominent.
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