47-Year-Old Pleads Guilty to 12 Federal Counts in Boulder Firebombing

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 47, entered a guilty plea to federal hate crime and explosives charges on Thursday for an attack on a pro-Israel rally in Colorado. The US Department of Justice announced that the Egyptian national admitted to nine hate-crime offenses and three explosives charges in federal court in Denver.

Soliman is already serving a life sentence after pleading guilty in May to more than 100 state charges, including first-degree murder. Federal prosecutors declined to seek the death penalty for the federal case. The plea agreement recommends a sentence of life in prison plus an additional 50 years.

The incident occurred on June 1, 2025, in downtown Boulder. Soliman threw two Molotov cocktails at a crowd gathered in solidarity with hostages held by Hamas. The group was outside a municipal courthouse in the Pearl Street shopping district. Prosecutors stated that Soliman yelled "Free Palestine" as the gasoline bombs burst into flames.

The attack injured 29 identified victims. Fourteen people were burned or injured while fleeing, and 15 were considered targets of attempted murder. One victim, 82-year-old Karen Diamond, died of her injuries later that month. Her husband survived with severe burns. The DOJ stated that Soliman admitted he committed the attack because of the actual or perceived Jewish religion and Israeli national origin of the target group.

Soliman has told investigators he planned the attack for a year but delayed it until after his daughter graduated from high school. He lived in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children. He has asserted that his family members were unaware of his intentions before the incident. During his state court plea, Soliman described his crimes as contrary to the teachings of Islam and said the enemy is Zionism.

The firebombing took place during a period of heightened tension following the October 7, 2023, Hamas raid and Israel's military response in Gaza. The conflict sparked a surge in anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate crimes in the US. Pro-Palestinian protests increased during this time, with some Israel supporters branding them as antisemitic.

Soliman's family was taken into immigration custody in June 2025 following his arrest. They were transported to a detention facility in Texas and held until a court-ordered release on April 23, 2026. This release came more than 10 months after their initial detention. The children and their mother, who had since divorced Soliman, were rearrested on April 25, 2026, just after returning to Colorado. They were freed again the next day when attorneys intervened.

Court records indicate that Soliman withdrew motions seeking to block further attempts to remove his family from the country. These records were entered around the same time he reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors this month. David Kraut, the federal public defender listed as Soliman's lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Soliman is scheduled to be sentenced on January 7.