Philadelphia man indicted in mosque arson case, DOJ says

Vincent Lang, 60, of Philadelphia, was charged by indictment with two federal offenses in connection with an alleged arson fire last month at the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center, according to the Department of Justice.

Lang was charged with one count of malicious damage by means of fire to a building used in interstate commerce and one count of damage to religious real property. He has been detained in federal custody since his July 16 arrest on a criminal complaint and warrant.

According to the indictment, Lang set fire to the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center on the 1400 block of Tyson Avenue in the early hours of July 5, maliciously damaging and destroying — and attempting to damage and destroy — the building. Prosecutors allege that Lang targeted the property because of its religious character as a mosque.

“Setting fire to a house of worship is an appalling act,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, adding that the department “will vigorously protect Americans’ right to be free from intimidation and violence while practicing their religion.”

U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said the case “demonstrates our resolve to protect our core constitutional liberty of religion,” calling it an example of the “swift and decisive response” that results when someone attempts to disturb another person’s faith.

FBI Philadelphia Field Office Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs said “there is no place for acts of violence in our city, especially those motivated by bias,” and credited the bureau’s partnerships with law enforcement and public safety agencies across Philadelphia.

ATF Philadelphia Field Division Special Agent in Charge Eric DeGree said investigations of fires at houses of worship remain an agency priority and thanked the city, state and federal agencies that assisted in the case.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel said the additional civil rights charge “sends a clear message that acts intended to threaten or intimidate a religious community will be met with the full force of our collective law enforcement response.”

If convicted, Lang faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment, according to the Justice Department.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office Special Investigations Unit and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda R. Reinitz and J. Jeanette Kang of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.