(Updated at 10:21am, 01-17-14)
TOLEDO – The appeal of convicted Islamic Center arsonist Randolph Linn has been dismissed by the Ohio
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
In an order filed on Jan. 10, the court dismissed the appeal, based on a motion to dismiss filed in
August by Laura McMullen Ford, counsel representing the United States in the matter.
Ford argued that the case should be dismissed because Linn signed an appeal waiver as part of a binding
plea agreement in the case.
Linn’s attorney, John Thebes, argued that the waiver did not bar appellate review of the case.
The defense had sought an appeal based on the fact that U.S. District Court Judge Jack Zouhary denied
motions for Linn to withdraw his guilty plea in the case, and to hold a competency hearing.
Linn, 54, St. Joe, Ind., was sentenced in April to 20 years in prison, and $1.4 million in restitution,
for the Sept. 20, 2012, arson at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, located in Perrysburg Township.

Linn, who was armed with a handgun at the time, reportedly dumped fuel from a gas can in a prayer room at
the site, and set it on fire. He was recorded on security cameras and later arrested in Indiana.
Linn was charged with federal hate crimes and firearms charges and eventually pleaded guilty before
subsequently attempting to withdraw that plea.
Linn said he had consumed 45 beers over a seven-hour period and became riled up by overseas incidents
involving Islamic extremists prior to driving the more than two hours from his home to commit the act.

Linn is incarcerated in the Loretto Federal Correctional Institution in Loretto, Pa. The institution
houses 1,468 inmates.
Linn is scheduled to be released on March 29, 2030.