INDICTMENT RETURNED IN PLOT TO BOMB ABORTION CLINICS

Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Hector M. Pesquera, Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Hugo J. Barrera, Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms; William T. Sims, Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Division of the United States Secret Service; Rear Admiral Harvey Johnson, Commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District; Ken Jenne, Sheriff of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office; and Bruce Roberts, Chief of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Fort Lauderdale returned a three-count indictment charging Stephen John Jordi with attempted arson, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i)(Count 1); distributing to another person information pertaining to the manufacture and use of explosives, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 842(p) (Count 2); and possession of an unregistered firearm, that is, a silencer, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5862(d) and 5871 (Count 3).

Jordi faces a maximum statutory penalty of twenty years’ imprisonment if convicted on each of Counts 1 and 2, ten years’ imprisonment if convicted on Count 3, and fines of up to $250,000 per count.

According to a criminal complaint affidavit filed on November 11, 2003, Jordi plotted to firebomb abortion clinics, apostate churches and gay bars in a bombing spree of targets in the Eastern United States. Jordi, a self-described “terrorist” who had training from the United States Army where he served with a Ranger Battalion, sought to emulate Olympic bombing suspect Eric Rudolph by taking to the woods and living off the land during the bombing spree. After a three-month investigation, Jordi was arrested on November 11, 2003, after he purchased bomb-making components and a pistol and silencer to be used in the plot. Jordi attempted to flee by jumping into the water at a Miami Beach marina and swimming off, but was captured after a 45 minute search by federal law enforcement authorities.

Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Schlesinger and Gerald Greenberg.