Seattle, WA. — A 55-year-old Everett, Washington man was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in federal prison for a pipe bomb attack that destroyed a neighbor’s vehicle, along with firearms and ammunition offenses.
Steven Goldstine pleaded guilty in September 2025 to three federal felonies: unlawful possession of a destructive device, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawful possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge John H. Chun imposed the sentence, citing the seriousness of the crime and its racially motivated nature.
“This case involves serious and quite frankly horrifying conduct,” Judge Chun said at sentencing. “Add in the racist statements—it is disgusting conduct.”
According to court records, the case stems from an explosion reported just before midnight on December 31, 2024, at an Everett apartment complex. Police responded to a damaged vehicle that had been destroyed by a pipe bomb. The victims told investigators they suspected Goldstine due to an ongoing conflict.
The following day, the victims received a voicemail from Goldstine in which he used racial slurs and referenced the explosion, authorities said. Surveillance footage from the apartment complex and nearby businesses, along with clothing recovered from Goldstine’s home, helped link him to the bombing.
Federal prosecutors argued the attack was motivated by racial hatred. “This defendant turned his racial hatred into a potentially deadly explosion,” said U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. “After the bombing he called the victims to gloat, leaving a message with racial slurs. This time in prison will protect our community.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division said the sentence reflects a broader commitment to prosecuting hate-motivated violence. “Fueled by hatred for a neighbor’s race, the defendant used a pipe bomb to cause an explosion and destroy property,” Dhillon said.
The investigation also uncovered additional firearms violations. Goldstine was legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions for burglary, arson, and possession of stolen property. A search of his home following the bombing uncovered more than 700 rounds of ammunition.
Court filings also referenced earlier incidents involving Goldstine, including a 2020 case in which he pointed a gun at protesters in Everett. That incident was captured on video, and the firearm was seized by law enforcement at the time.
Prosecutors sought a 78-month sentence, citing what they described as a long history of violent conduct. In a filing to the court, they detailed prior arson convictions from the late 1980s and early 1990s, an assault on a neighbor and altercation with police in 2019, threats posted online in 2022, and the December 2024 bombing.
“No one should fear violence based on their beliefs or identity,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson. “Terror motivated by hate will not be tolerated.”
Everett Police Chief John DeRousse credited coordination among local and federal agencies. “The violence and hatred behind this crime had no place in Everett,” he said, adding that the victim showed resilience “in the face of a senseless act meant to intimidate and divide.”
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Chun ordered Goldstine to serve three years of supervised release following incarceration, including one year of electronic location monitoring.
The case was investigated by the Everett Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the FBI, with assistance from the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica M. Manca and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
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