In late 2001, theJewish Defense League (JDL) plotted to bomb theKing Fahd mosque inCulver City, California, along with the office of CaliforniaRepublicanCongressmanDarrell Issa.
In November 2001 the JDL's leaderIrv Rubin and itsWest Coast co-ordinatorEarl Krugel were arrested as part of asting operation after an FBI informant named Danny Gillis deliveredexplosives to Krugel's home inLos Angeles.[1][2] Bomb components including pipes,end caps,detonators andgunpowder were confiscated along with multiple rifles and handguns.[3][4] In December 2001 Krugel and Rubin were arraigned on conspiracy charges to send explosives to theSherman Oaks, California office of U.S. congressman Darrell Issa, aLebanese-American, and to bomb the King FahdMosque in Culver City, California.[4] According to theaffidavit in support of the charges, Krugel had stated to an FBI informant that "Arabs needed a wake-up call and the JDL needed to do something to one of their 'filthy mosques'."[4] According to the San Francisco Chronicle the affidavit also "painted a picture of a tiny gang that sat around talking about what to blow up but generally shied away from blowing up people."[4]
In 2003 the bombing charges were dropped and Krugel was allowed to plead guilty to reduced charges of conspiracy to violate civil rights, and to a weapons charge.[3][5] U.S. District Court JudgeRonald S.W. Lew accepted the plea.[citation needed]. Part of the plea agreement demanded that Krugel reveal the names of all JDL activists involved in the 1985 bombing ofAlex Odeh's office.[citation needed] The plea agreement was later retracted with details sealed to the public.[5] He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in September 2005,[3][5] and three days later he was murdered by another inmate, who struck him in the head with aconcrete block.[6]