| Hearing set in arsonist case |
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| Written by PETER KUEBECK Sentinel Staff Writer | ||
| Friday, 25 January 2013 11:33 | ||
A 'record status hearing' to discuss the state of Linn's case is to be held Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. before U.S. District Court Judge Jack Zouhary. In a letter filed Tuesday with U.S. District Court in Toledo, Linn, 52, of St. Joe, Ind., requested that his guilty plea be withdrawn "due to my duress and my emotional state at the time of my plea," indicating that "I did not have the opportunity to discuss defenses, tactics, strategies, or the nature and effect of my guilty plea and sentencing," and that "I was under depression over this alleged crime." "I made the wrong decision," the letter said. A brief telephone hearing with Zouhary, as well as prosecuting and defense attorneys, was held Thursday morning. Linn is currently incarcerated at the Milan Detention Facility in Milan, Mich., while he awaits sentencing, and did not attend the hearing. Linn pleaded guilty Dec. 19 to federal hate crime and weapons charges in the Sept. 30 arson at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, located on Scheider Road in Perrysburg Township. At that December hearing, Linn stated he drove from his home, located two hours away, and entered the mosque, spreading gasoline in a prayer room and setting it ablaze. He was armed with a handgun at the time of the incident. Linn, a former Marine, was later arrested at his workplace in Ft. Wayne. He stated he had become angry at media reports regarding the deaths of Americans at the hands of Islamic extremists, and that he had consumed more than 45 beers over a seven-hour period, before undertaking the act. Barring a new ruling, Linn is to be sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crimes at a hearing on April 16, and will be required to make an as-yet-undetermined financial restitution. |
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