In a plea agreement, Holzer pleaded guilty in October to one count of trying to obstruct religious services by force and one count of attempting to destroy a building used in interstate commerce.
FBI agents tracked Holzer on social media, where he promoted white supremacist ideology and acts of violence, and repeatedly expressed his hatred of Jewish people, according to the US Justice Department.
He wrote in a private message, “I wish the Holocaust really did happen.” Referring to Jews, he said, “They need to die,” reported The New York Times.
In October of 2019, he repeatedly visited the synagogue and began collecting supplies he would use in the attack—gloves, a mask and various other paraphernalia. Shortly afterwards, undercover agents provided him with two pipe bombs and two bundles of dynamite, all of which were inert.
Temple Emanuel opened its doors in 1900 and is the second-oldest synagogue in the state. It has a congregation of 35 families with some of its members the children of Holocaust survivors.
