A Philadelphia man has been arrested and charged with arson related a fire at a mosque in the city July 5.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced Vincent Lang, 60, was arrested and charged with maliciously damaging or destroying by means of fire the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center on Tyson Avenue.
The fire caused significant damage to the structure, including a section under construction. No injuries were reported.
The criminal complaint alleges that, in the early hours of July 5, 2026, Lang approached the Islamic Center building, ignited an improvised incendiary device, and threw the device into the entryway of the mosque, causing a fire inside the structure.
The affidavit by a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) references extensive video and photos of a man approaching the building and driving away, a man later identified as Lang. The vehicle, which was registered to Lang, contained handwritten anti-Islamic graffiti on the rear window of the vehicle, according to the affidavit.
If convicted, Lang faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment.
The charges and allegations in the criminal complaint are merely accusations and Lang is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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