Mohamed Soliman Pleads Guilty to Hate Crimes in Deadly Antisemitic Attack on Boulder Gathering

Boulder, CO. — Mohamed Sabry Soliman pleaded guilty October 29 to 12 federal hate crimes charges stemming from a deadly firebomb attack on a Boulder gathering supporting hostages held following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel.

Soliman, 46, of Colorado Springs, admitted that he targeted the gathering because of the victims’ actual or perceived Israeli national origin and Jewish religion, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Under his plea agreement, Soliman acknowledged lighting and throwing two Molotov cocktails into the gathering on June 1, 2025. The attack killed one person and caused permanent and life-threatening injuries to several others.

Those attacked included members of Boulder’s Run for Their Lives chapter, a group that organized walks to raise awareness of the hostages, as well as others at the gathering.

U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly described the attack as antisemitic, citing Soliman’s admissions about his motivation. He said people should be able to practice their faith and pursue their way of life without fearing for their safety.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said the plea represented a measure of justice for the victims and their families. She reiterated the department’s commitment to prosecuting violence motivated by religion or national origin.

Soliman faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on nine of the hate crimes charges, according to the Justice Department. Those charges also carry potential penalties of five years of supervised release and fines of up to $250,000.

For the remaining three charges, the department said he faces maximum prison terms of 50 years, to run consecutively to any other prison term, along with three years of supervised release and fines of up to $250,000.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 7, 2027. A federal judge will determine the sentence after considering federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI’s Denver Field Office and the Boulder Police Department investigated the attack. Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are handling the case.