Man sentenced for torching mosque

Published: Nov. 23, 2009 at 5:16 PM

COLUMBIA, Tenn., Nov. 23 (UPI) -- A Tennessee man Monday was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for vandalizing and setting an Islamic Center on fire, the U.S. Justice Department said.

Michael C. Golden pleaded guilty to destruction of religious property and using fire to committing a felony in exchange for the 171-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release, the Justice Department said in a release.

He admitted to the court he assembled Molotov cocktails, lit them and used them to destroy the Islamic Center of Columbia, Tenn., on Feb. 9, 2008. He also admitted that while burning down the mosque, a co-defendant painted swastikas and the phrase "White Power" on the building's walls.

Two other defendants, Jonathan Edward Stone and Eric Ian Baker, also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in December, the Justice Department said.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2009/11/ ... 259014582/