US authorities have arrested a man accused of intentionally setting fire to a mosque in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and he faces charges that could carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The US Department of Justice said that the arrested person is called Vincent Lang, aged 60, and he was charged with “deliberately destroying or damaging a building or property used in interstate commerce by starting a fire or attempting to do so,” in connection with the fire that broke out last week in one of the city’s mosques.
According to the criminal complaint, the incident occurred in the early hours of July 5, when Lang approached the Islamic Center of Northeast Philadelphia and ignited an incendiary device before throwing it at the entrance to the mosque, causing a fire to break out inside the building.
The US Department of Justice explained that if the accused is convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, in addition to a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years.
