The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that a Philadelphia man has been charged with arson in connection with a fire set at a mosque in the city last week.
Vincent Lang, 60, of Philadelphia was taken into custody and charged with one count of maliciously damaging or destroying — or attempting to destroy — a building or property used in interstate commerce by means of fire, according to a DOJ statement. The charge stems from a fire that broke out at a Philadelphia mosque.
Court documents allege that on July 5, Lang walked up to the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center, ignited a homemade incendiary device, and hurled it into the mosque’s entryway, starting a fire inside the structure.
According to an NBC News affiliate, no one was hurt in the incident. The DOJ confirmed the fire occurred during the early morning hours of July 5.
Should Lang be found guilty, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Federal sentencing guidelines also include a mandatory minimum of five years behind bars, the DOJ noted.
Attempts to reach a representative for Lang were unsuccessful.
U.S. civil rights advocates have pointed to a pattern of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in the years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, with more recent contributing factors including anti-immigration policies, white supremacist ideology, and tensions surrounding Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
