Overview
- Federal prosecutors say 60‑year‑old Vincent Lang was indicted on charges of malicious damage by fire to a building used in interstate commerce and damage to religious real property for an arson at the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center on July 5.
- The indictment alleges Lang targeted the mosque because of its religious character and says he faces a maximum of 40 years in prison and a five‑year mandatory minimum if convicted.
- Law enforcement agencies that investigated include the ATF, FBI and Philadelphia Police, and prosecutors say Lang has been held in federal custody since his mid‑July arrest.
- Investigators cite surveillance video, an anonymous tip linking Lang to the scene, a vehicle matching the suspect’s car with anti‑Islamic messages, and social‑media posts praising the attack as part of the evidence presented so far.
- Local officials and civil‑rights groups welcomed the federal charge as a strong signal that attacks on houses of worship will be treated as civil‑rights violations and warned the case highlights broader concerns about rising anti‑Muslim incidents.