Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Bay Area Arson and Firebombings

On September 25, Casey Robert Goonan received a sentence of 235 months—more than 19 years—in federal prison for arson and firebombings at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland during June 2024. The sentence stemmed from a joint investigation by the FBI, ATF, California Office of the State Fire Marshal, and University of California Police Department (UCPD). According to the Department of Justice, the 35-year-old Oakland and Pleasant Hill resident drew inspiration from the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and urged others to target Bay Area college campuses in solidarity with Palestine.

Goonan detailed his actions in a plea agreement, admitting that he placed six Molotov cocktails under a UCPD patrol vehicle parked near the Berkeley campus on June 1, 2024. He then lit the bag on fire, which caused the vehicle to ignite. A high-quality security camera on a building across the street recorded the incident in detail.

Goonan made another attempt to firebomb the Oakland federal building on June 11, 2024. He carried a bag with three Molotov cocktails and threw rocks at a window, hoping to break it open so he could hurl the ignited devices inside. Security officers disrupted the effort, yet Goonan managed to set the Molotov cocktails alight in a planter along the side of the building.

The defendant set more fires on the Berkeley campus on June 1, June 13, and June 16, 2024. Goonan confessed that his behavior was intended to intimidate and coerce government actions, while retaliating against federal and state authorities. Court officials, therefore, classified the offenses as felonies intended to advance federal crimes of terrorism.

United States District Judge Jeffrey S. White imposed the 235-month prison term on Goonan. The ruling also requires 15 years of supervised release following the completion of his incarceration. In addition, Goonan must pay more than $94,000 in restitution.