After admitting guilt in state court, Mohamed Soliman changes plea to guilty on 12 federal charges in Boulder firebombing attack
Plea changes in federal court
Soliman appeared at the Arraj Courthouse at 10 a.m. Thursday and pleaded guilty to all 12 federal charges. A judge found him competent to enter the pleas.
Hate crime allegations
The federal case included 12 hate crime charges. One count alleged that Soliman used an explosive or incendiary device in an attempt to injure and kill. U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly said the federal case addresses the hateful ideology behind the violence. McNeilly said Soliman admitted he acted because he believed the people targeted were Jewish and Israeli.
Attack targeted marchers
Susan Rona, regional director of ADL Mountain States, said Soliman’s guilty plea acknowledged that he targeted people because of religion or national origin. Rona described the attack as antisemitic and said he had planned it for more than a year.
Sentencing remains undecided
The judge has not decided Soliman’s sentence and said sentencing guidelines are advisory, not binding. Gov. Polis is seeking life in prison plus 50 years. The guilty pleas resolve the federal charges, but the sentence remains outstanding. The article provides no date for a sentencing decision.
Key points
- Soliman pleaded guilty to 12 federal charges in Boulder on Thursday.
- He had already pleaded guilty to more than 100 state charges, including first-degree murder.
- The federal case includes 12 hate crime charges tied to the June 2025 attack.
- The judge has not decided the sentence; Gov. Polis seeks life in prison plus 50 years.