Oakland man pleads guilty to firebombing UC Berkeley patrol car
The Oakland man accused of firebombing a UC Berkeley patrol car and trying to firebomb a federal building pleaded guilty, the United States Department of Justice said Tuesday.
On June 1, Casey Robert Goonan, 34, set a bag containing six Molotov cocktails under a patrol car at UC Berkeley and set it on fire, according to a plea agreement.
The DOJ said he admitted to setting other fires on campus on June 1, 13 and 16. He also attempted to firebomb a federal building in Oakland, the DOJ said.
On June 11, Goonan went to the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland carrying three Molotov cocktails in a bag, a plea agreement states. He then tried to break a window using rocks, to throw the Molotov cocktails inside the building.
The DOJ said officers in the area prevented him from accomplishing his initial goal. Instead, he placed the contents of the bag in a planter near the building and set it on fire.
He pleaded guilty to one count of maliciously damaging or destroying property used in or affecting interstate commerce by means of fire or an explosive.
According to the DOJ, Goonan admitted he tried to "influence and affect the conduct of governments by intimidation and coercion and to retaliate against the governments of the United States and the State of California for their conduct."
"Goonan also agreed that the Court should apply Section 3A1.4 of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, the terrorism enhancement, in determining the appropriate sentence," the DOJ said.
His sentencing will be on April 8. At a minimum, he faces five years in prison and at most 20 years.
