Illinois Men Sentenced For Roles In 2017 Bombing Of Bloomington Mosque

BLOOMINGTON, MN — Two Illinois men were sentenced Tuesday for their roles in the 2017 bombing of Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, according to a news release from Minnesota's U.S. Attorney, Andrew Luger.

The two men were convicted of firearms violations, arson, use of a destructive device and federal civil rights violations, officials said.

Michael McWhorter, 33, was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison and Joe Morris, 26, was sentenced to more than 14, according to authorities.

According to prosecutors, in the summer of 2017, Michael Hari, 51, using the name "Emily Claire Hari," established a terrorist militia group called "The White Rabbits" in Clarence, Illinois. He recruited McWhorter and Morris to join the militia and supplied paramilitary equipment and assault rifles, authorities said.

The group rented a truck Aug. 4-5, 2017, and drove to Bloomington to bomb the DAF Islamic Center, according to prosecutors. An hour from Minnesota, Hari told McWhorter and Morris that there was a pipe bomb in the truck and that they were going to bomb the Islamic Center to terrorize Muslims into believing they are not welcome in the United States and should leave, officials said.

The group got to the DAF Islamic Center around 5 a.m. on Aug. 5, 2017, according to prosecutors. Morris broke open the window of the Imam's office and threw a container of diesel fuel and gasoline inside, authorities said.

McWhorter then lit the fuse of a 20-pound black powder pipe bomb and threw it through the window, before he and Morris ran back to the truck, prosecutors said.

According to authorities, the group then sped off to Illinois.

When the bomb exploded, it caused extensive damage to the Imam's office, authorities said. According to prosecutors, the bomb's explosion ignited the gasoline and diesel mixture and caused heavy fire and smoke damage. There were worshippers inside the mosque at the time of the bombing, authorities said.

The group participated in other violent acts later that year, including trying to set fire to a Women's Health Practice in Champaign, Illinois, an armed home invasion in Ambia, Indiana, and two armed robberies in Illinois, prosecutors said.

McWhorter and Morris pleaded guilty in 2019 in the District of Minnesota to charges that originated in both Minnesota and Illinois, according to prosecutors. The charges included: intentionally obstructing, and attempting to obstruct, by force and the threat of force, the free exercise of religious beliefs; carrying and using a destructive device during and in relation to crimes of violence; possession of a machine gun; conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats and violence; and attempted arson, officials said.

“Although these men were not the criminal masterminds of their violent acts, they followed Hari’s leadership, they complied with the direction they were given, and submitted to a violent and extremist ideology in carrying out this act of terrorism,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said in a statement. “The government recognizes and values McWhorter and Morris’s cooperation throughout this case, which contributed to Hari’s conviction. Today, justice under the law has been served for their actions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice will protect and uphold the rights of individuals and faith communities to worship freely, without the threat of violence.”

The men were able to plead guilty to the charges in Minnesota due to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 20, which "allows for the transfer of charges for the entry of guilty pleas and the imposition of sentence," officials said.

The FBI conducted the investigation for the case, authorities said.

“This crime was a violent, hate driven attack that specifically targeted individuals based on their faith. More broadly, this was an attack on all faith-based communities that openly practice their religions with a reasonable expectation of peaceful freedom to do so,” Michael Paul, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Minneapolis division, said in a statement. “Every person has the right to live and worship freely and without fear. The FBI is committed to defending all communities and protecting the rights of all Americans.”