U.S. citizen jailed for anti-Muslim attacks

3/2/2005 8:30:00 AM GMT

Source: Reuters

A Texas citizen has been sentenced to 30 years in jail for setting a series of fires at businesses that were owned or operated by Muslims in San Antonio in 2003 and 2004, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

The man was identified as Thomas Carroll, 33, a former auto transmission shop owner.

Carroll pleaded guilty to three counts of arson that were branded as hate crimes in an agreement with Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed.

Reed said in a statement that Carroll set fire to businesses that were owned or run by immigrants from India and Pakistan. There were no injuries, but the facilities were badly damaged or destroyed.

"These crimes were targeted against people because of their national origin and were designed to spread fear throughout the whole community," she said.

"Terrorists commit crimes based on hatred of a people or a religion and such acts will not be tolerated and will be dealt with firmly."

Carroll was released on bail at the time of the arson for ramming his Toyota SUV into a Muslim-owned gasoline station.

After his arrest last year, Carroll claimed that he wasn’t related to any hate groups and had nothing against Muslims.

Sarwat Husain, the chief of the Council for American Islamic Relations chapter in San Antonio, hailed the sentence for Carroll.

"The stiff sentence handed down in this case sends a positive message to the American Muslim community that bias-motivated attacks will be prosecuted with vigor," Husain said.