Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Michael Clemens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"); Julie Torres, Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; William T. Sims, Special Agent in Charge of the Miami Field Division of the United States Secret Service; Rear Admiral D. Brian Peterman, Commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District; Sheriff Ken Jenne, Broward County Sheriff’s Office; and Bruce Roberts, Chief of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, announced today that defendant, Stephen John Jordi, was sentenced to a term of five years’ imprisonment by United States District Judge James I. Cohn in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for his conviction resulting from a plot to firebomb abortion clinics. On February 13, 2004, Jordi pleaded 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). In addition to the term of imprisonment, Jordi was sentenced to five years’ supervised release and ordered to receive mandatory mental health treatment.

Jordi’s conviction culminated a four month investigation by the FBI and the multi-agency 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 FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Schlesinger and Gerald Greenberg.