U.S. Department of Justice Marcos Daniel Jiménez United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
	99 N.E. 4th Street Miami, FL 33132 (305) 961-9001

GUILTY PLEA IN PLOT TO BOMB ABORTION CLINICS

Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Tod Alan Hildebrand, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Division; Hugo J. Barrera, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, Miami Field Division; William T. Sims, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Miami Field Division; Rear Admiral Harvey Johnson, Commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District; Ken Jenne, Sheriff, Broward County Sheriff’s Office; and Bruce Roberts, Chief, Fort Lauderdale Police Department, announced today that Stephen John Jordi pled guilty in United States District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in connection to a plot to firebomb abortion clinics. Jordi pled guilty to Count 1 of a three count Indictment charging him with attempted arson, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i). Jordi faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years’ imprisonment, and a maximum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment, as well as a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 30, 2004 at 2:30 p.m. in front of United States District Court Judge James Cohn.

Jordi’s guilty plea culminates a four-month investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force that began with a citizen’s tip that Jordi was planning to bomb abortion clinics. According to a criminal complaint affidavit filed on November 11, 2003, Jordi planned 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 U.S. 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. 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.

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