A Mayfair man is facing federal criminal charges for allegedly trying to burn down a Northeast Philadelphia mosque earlier this month.

Hateful phrases, including “F— Allah,” F— Islam” and “White Pride,” were scribbled on the rear and passenger’s side windows of Vincent Lang’s SUV when investigators surveilled his Longshore Avenue house, an agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) wrote in a criminal complaint.

Near the handwritten messages were stickers declaring that the vehicle’s owner had a “Federal Terrorist Hunting License” and represented “America’s Original Homeland Security,” according to the charging documents.

Lang, 60, is also accused of running a Facebook account that praised the arson in comments posted beneath security footage of the incident, authorities said.

He was arrested Thursday, July 16, for allegedly causing a July 5 fire inside the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center, located on the 1400 block of Tyson Avenue in the Castor Gardens neighborhood.

Law enforcement officials said someone threw an incendiary device into the mosque’s enclosed front entrance at around 2 a.m. The building was unoccupied at the time, and no injuries have been reported.

Debris collected from the site tested positive for gasoline; analysis of explosive residue from the scene is still pending, the ATF said in court documents last week.

Detectives credited a tip for helping them to pinpoint Lang, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations Philadelphia Chapter, a Muslim civil rights organization, said they initially received the information.

CAIR representatives thanked the person for coming forward and credited investigators with moving swiftly to apprehend Lang.

“This attack did not occur in a vacuum,” Ahmet Tekelioglu, the chapter’s president, said in a statement. “The alleged motive outlined in the charging documents reflects the dangerous consequences of anti-Muslim bigotry and dehumanizing rhetoric.

“We remain committed to working with our partners to ensure that every member of our community can worship freely and safely without fear of intimidation or violence.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro, Mayor Cherelle Parker, U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle and Dwight Evans, along with a host of other elected leaders, denounced the arson shortly after it occurred. The Islamic center has been based at a house on Tyson Avenue since 2005 and is in the process of expanding due to overcrowding.

Lang has been charged with maliciously damaging or destroying by means of fire any building or property. Prosecutors said he could face five to 20 years behind bars, if convicted.

Metro reached out to Lang’s legal counsel and is awaiting a response. A bail hearing is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, court records show.

MORE: Bucks County teens charged with terrorism after homemade bomb thrown at protesters

Keywords

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Cherelle Parker