Watch CBS News

Report: White Supremacist From SoCal Planned Attack On Colorado Temple

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The FBI reports a white supremacist from the Los Angeles-area planned to blow up a Colorado temple.

The agency believes it has prevented the planned hate crime.

CBS2/KCAL9's affiliate in Denver says the director of the synagogue was told by the FBI that Richard Holzer was living in the Thousand Oaks/Oxnard-area before he moved to Colorado.

Investigators says Holzer, 27 — a skinhead and former member of the KKK - wanted to attack Temple Emanuel in Pueblo, Colorado Saturday morning.

U.S. attorney Jason Dunn says the FBI was in on the plot. According to court documents, Holzer met with undercover agents last Friday in a motel room. They say he was animated, displayed a Nazi armband and removed a knife, mask and a copy of "Mein Kampf" from a backpack.

The undercover agents gave him two fake pipe bombs and 14 sticks of dynamite. Shortly after, he was arrested.

"Mr. Holzer repeatedly expressed his hatred of Jewish people and his support of a racial Holy war," Dunn said.

We are also learning Holzer came to the attention of the FBI online. An FBI employee posing as a female white supremacist made contact with him in September after he posted rants about Jews and other minorities, displayed white supremacy symbols and wrote about "getting ready to cap people."

Court documents also indicate Holzer conducted surveillance on the temple.

His arrest comes just over a year after a gunman killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

Since then, the Anti-Defamation League says at least a dozen white supremacists have been arrested after threatening to target Jewish houses of worship.

Holzer could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.