Two men plead guilty to federal charges of throwing Molotov cocktails at Oklahoma Sheriff’s office
MIAMI, Okla. — Two Ottawa County men who threw several defunct Molotov Cocktails at the sheriff’s office in anger over a previous arrest pleaded guilty in federal court to federal bomb-related charges.
Emilio Miguel Gallardo, 20, and Dakota Samuel Johns, 22, both of Miami, were indicted on possession of an unregistered destructive device, malicious damage to federal property and manufacturing an unregistered destructive device.
Two Ottawa County men charged with throwing Molotov cocktails at sheriff’s office
Johns pleaded guilty on Feb. 2 and Gallardo pleaded guilty on March 6 to possessing an unregistered destructive device. Gallardo also pleaded guilty to manufacturing an unregistered destructive device. The other federal charges were dismissed, according to their plea agreements.
No sentencing date has been set.
According to their plea agreements, each man could face up to a 10-year sentence on each indictment they entered a guilty plea to and a fine of up to $250,000.
The men pleaded guilty to taking several Molotov cocktails to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 26 and throwing them at the state building, according to their plea agreements.
The cocktails did not ignite or hit the building; their plea agreements state.
In Johns’ plea agreement, he states they threw the Molotov cocktails at the sheriff’s office because the men were angry about being charged with a felony in Ottawa County District Court.
Both men were charged in Ottawa County for malicious injury to property over $1,000. They are accused of destroying landscape plants, overturning picnic tables and breaking windows at several Miami businesses.
In the federal arrest warrant, a broken glass Jack Daniels bottle top with a black sock or rag sticking out of it was found near the entrance of the Sheriff’s Office.
Federal agents retrieved a Jack Daniels Southern Peach bottle, burnt pieces of cloth, and a fluid smelling like gasoline from the scene. Surveillance footage shows two men, later identified as Gallardo and Johns, stopped in front of the Sheriff’s Office. The surveillance camera footage shows the two men approach the front of the Sheriff’s Office, attempt to ignite the bottles and throw them at the front door. The affidavit states the bottle appeared to break but failed to ignite fully.
Gallardo told agents that he doesn’t like explosions and that he does like playing with fire.
