Mosque bombing suspects indicted on weapons charges

URBANA, Ill. – A federal grand jury in central Illinois has indicted three men suspected of bombing a Minnesota mosque on a charge of possessing a machine-gun. A fourth man not linked to the bombing was also indicted.

Forty-seven-year-old Michael Hari, 29-year-old Michael McWhorter, 22-year-old Joe Morris and 18-year-old Ellis Mack were arrested on March 13 on the weapons charge. On the same day, Hari, McWorter and Morris, all of Clarence, Illinois, were charged in Minnesota with bombing the Dar al Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington last August. The explosion caused fire damage, but no injuries.

Wednesday’s indictment alleges the four men possessed a machine-gun from October 2017 through Feb. 27, 2018.

U.S. attorney spokeswoman Sharon Paul says the dates of their initial appearances on the indictment have yet to be determined. It wasn’t immediately known if the four have attorneys to comment on their behalf.