Colorado Man Who Plotted to Bomb Synagogue Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison
According to a Department of Justice press release dated February 26, 2021, Richard Holzer, 28, was sentenced in federal court for planning to blow up a synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado. Holzer pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and explosives charges and was given a sentence of over 19 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Specifically, he pleaded guilty to intentionally attempting to obstruct persons in the enjoyment of their free exercise of religious beliefs.
Caught by undercover FBI agents, Holzer explained that he wanted to use the bombing to send a message to Jewish people to leave his town, “otherwise people will die.” A self-proclaimed Neo-Nazi and white supremacist, Holzer planned to detonate bombs on an early Saturday morning in Temple Emanuel, a synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider said of the crime, “Protecting our communities from terrorism, both domestic and international, is a top priority for the FBI. Mr. Holzer targeted a place of worship for violence and destruction to drive people of the Jewish faith from our community.”
Holzer routinely shared his beliefs on social media and advocated for white supremacy, according to the DOJ press release. After connecting with an undercover FBI agent, Holzer sent the agent photos of himself holding automatic weapons and said he was “getting ready for RAHOWA,” also knows as racial holy war. Holzer met with undercover FBI agents on November 1, 2019 and was given fake explosives by the agents. He then pulled a copy of “Mein Kampf” from his bag, and after he was arrested he stated, “The event planned for tonight would define me as a person who would die for his people.”
U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn of the District of Colorado said of the sentencing, “Today’s sentence is another step forward in our on-going fight against extremism. About two-and-a-half years ago, my first day as U.S. Attorney took me to a vigil for victims from the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue attack. Today, my last day in the office, we have sentenced the extremist responsible for the attempted bombing of the Temple Emanuel Synagogue in Pueblo. We must remain ever vigilant in this battle and I am confident the Department will continue to lead this fight.”