Indiana Man Sentenced To 10 Years For Role In 2020 Portland Protests

PORTLAND, OR —An Indiana man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to charges relating to his role in violent protests in Portland in the late summer and fall of 2020, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon said.

Malik Fard Muhammad, a 25-year-old from Indianapolis, pleaded guilty on May 28 to two counts of possessing unregistered destructive devices. Muhammad's sentence, imposed by a federal judge, also carries three years of supervised release after he leaves prison.

This was the harshest federal penalty stemming from the 100 days of protest that took place in Portland during the summer and fall of 2020, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

In addition to the destructive device charges, Muhammad also had been charged by a federal grand jury with engaging in civil disorder and obstructing law enforcement and using explosives to commit a felony.

In March, Muhammad pleaded guilty in state court to 14 felony charges, including attempted murder. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, which will run concurrently with his federal sentence. He will serve his sentence in Oregon state prison, according to authorities.

"In the lead-up to and during protests, federal law enforcement is focused on doing everything we can to support the First Amendment rights of individuals while keeping all demonstrators, other community members, and law enforcement officers safe," said Scott Erik Asphaug, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. "Holding accountable those individuals whose sole focus is violence and destruction, like Mr. Muhammad, is central to our ongoing effort to support the rights of all Oregonians."

According to court records, Muhammad was arrested on Oct. 11, 2020, during a protest in downtown Portland.

Police said they observed Muhammad as part of a crowd that was heavily vandalizing various buildings and parks, including the Oregon Historical, Portland State University, a Starbucks and a Bank of America Branch.

Officers reported observing Muhammad using a metal baton to smash the windows of several buildings and arrested him after a short chase.

At the time of his arrest, Muhammad possessed a loaded handgun magazine in his pocket. A loaded handgun matching the magazine found on Muhammad's person was found discarded near the location of his arrest, according to authorities.

Following Muhammad's arrest, court documents show that law enforcement seized his cell phone and found messages where he bragged about providing the baseball bats to other rioters. The cell phone also contained a shopping list including common supplies used to make a Molotov cocktail.

Later, police were able to connect evidence and footage from previous protests to Muhammad, whom authorities believe traveled with his girlfriend from Indianapolis to Portland in the late summer of 2020 to violently engage in area riots.

According to court records, a discarded baseball bat found at one of the protests contained a price tag from a Goodwill store.

Officers then obtained surveillance footage from that store that showed Muhammad and his girlfriend buying bats and several growler bottles, according to authorities.

During a Sept. 21, 2020 protest, police recovered an unexploded Molotov cocktail hurled in the direction of one of their vehicles. The device was made in a yellow glass growler with a Goodwill sticker at the bottom, authorities said.

At a Sept. 23, 2020 protest outside the Multnomah County Justice Center, an individual threw a Molotov cocktail in the direction of officers. It exploded and one of the officer's legs caught fire.

The device had been made in a large yellow growler, and authorities said videos obtained by law enforcement of the incident showed Muhammad throwing the explosive device.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Muhammad's trip to Portland did not appear to be an isolated incident.

Investigators obtained evidence that Muhammad traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, in August 2020 to meet with anti-government and anti-authority violent extremist groups to conduct firearms and tactical training. Investigators also obtained several public social media posts by Muhammad promoting violence toward law enforcement in other cities including Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Chicago, according to court records.

"The risk of a law enforcement officer or community member being seriously hurt or killed by the actions of this individual was very real," Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell said about Muhammad. "I'm gratified to know that he is being held accountable for the danger his criminal actions caused."

This Muhammad case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau, FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.