ORLANDO, Fla. — A Jordanian national living in Orlando illegally has been sentenced in federal court for political threats and property destruction.
The U.S. Department of Justice says Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 44, was sentenced Thursday to six years in federal prison for threatening to use explosives and destruction of an energy facility. He will also have a restitution hearing to address the more than $450,000 in damages he caused, but the date of that gearing has not been set.
According to the Justice Department, beginning around June 2024, Hnaihen targeted and attacked businesses in the Orlando area for their perceived support for Israel. Prosecutors say he smashed glass front doors of businesses during the night.
Prosecutors say he also left behind “warning letters” addressed to the president of the United States and the United States government, in which he made a series of political demands, culminating in a threat to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”
At the end of June, Hnaihen’s broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield and systematically destroyed solar panel arrays, while leaving behind two more copies of his threatening demand letter, the news release states. The attacks caused more than $450,000 in damage.
Hnaihen was arrested on July 11, 2024, after another letter threatening to “destroy or explode everything” was found at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.
“Threatening to commit mass violence against American citizens and targeting businesses or institutions for destruction will not be tolerated,” said U.S. attorney Gregory Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Today’s sentence demonstrates the collective fortitude of our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who engage in acts of intimidation or violence against our communities.”
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
