East Bay Man Faces Federal Charges For Firebombing A University Police Vehicle

Press Release

Defendant Placed Molotov Cocktails Underneath a UC Berkeley Police Car and Lit Them on Fire

OAKLAND - A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging an East Bay man with firebombing a University of California Police Department (UCPD) patrol car, announced U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California and FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp.

According to the indictment, on June 1, 2024, Casey Robert Goonan, 34, of Oakland and Pleasant Hill, went to the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. He was carrying a reusable shopping bag that contained six explosive devices commonly known as "Molotov cocktails."

Goonan then kicked the shopping bag underneath the fuel tank of a marked UCPD patrol vehicle and ignited the Molotov cocktails, as depicted below:

The patrol vehicle caught on fire, as depicted below:

In part due to the rapid response of UCPD officers, the patrol vehicle did not explode. It did, however, suffer significant damage to its rear seats, fuel port, and trunk, and was deemed a total loss.

Goonan stands charged with one count of Maliciously Damaging or Destroying Property Belonging to an Institution Receiving Federal Financial Assistance by Means of Fire or an Explosive, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(f)(1); one count of Maliciously Damaging or Destroying Property Used in or Affecting Interstate Commerce by Means of Fire or an Explosive, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(i); and one count of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d).

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Goonan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a minimum sentence of five years in prison as to each count of Maliciously Damaging or Destroying Property by Means of Fire or an Explosive, and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison as to the Possession of an Unregistered Firearm count. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Goonan was arraigned on the Indictment this morning before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Judge Ryu previously ordered Goonan detained pending trial, and he remains in federal custody.

Goonan's next court appearance is scheduled for September 17, 2024, before Senior United States District Judge Jeffrey S. White in Oakland.

The National Security and Cyber Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); the California Office of the State Fire Marshal (CalFire); and the University of California Police Department.

Updated July 26, 2024