Arizona white supremacist bomber gets sentenced

A white supremacist will be seeing bars for quite a while after federal judge sentenced him to 40 years in prison for a 2004 bombing that wounded a black city official in Phoenix, Arizona.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - In February, jurors convicted Dennis Mahon, 61, of three federal charges from a package bomb that initially wounded Don Logan, former Scottsdale's diversity director, and a secretary. U.S. District Judge David Campbell believed that the bombing was premeditated and was done to promote hate and racism. He called the bombing an "act of domestic terrorism."

Mahon faced between 7-100 years in prison. Since parole does not exist in the federal system, he will most likely spend the remainder of his life behind prison bars. Feeling bad for the victims, Mahon, however, stuck to his innocence telling the courtroom "I didn't do this bombing. I can't apologize for something I didn't do."

Mahon's identical twin brother, Daniel, faced a charge in the case as well, however he was acquitted.

Prosecutors stated that the Mahon brothers bombed Logan on the behalf of a group called the White Aryan Resistance, which encourage members to commit solo acts of violence against non-whites and the government. Surveillance tapes showed the brothers referring to Logan in racial slurs. Also a voicemail was played which had Dennis Mahon saying, "The white Aryan resistance is growing in Scottsdale. There are a few white people who are standing up."

Logan believes that his skin color was the motivation needed for the attack. He told the judge that the actions that Dennis Mahon performed deserve the maximum sentence.

"Don Logan didn't ask to be here. I am here by default. I am here for justice," Logan said. "Dennis Mahon does not deserve to be free."

The defense attorneys criticized the use of 41-year-old Rebecca Williams as an informant, dubbing the nickname the "trailer park Mata Hari," which references the Dutch exotic dancer who was convicted of working as a spy for German during the first World War. Investigators met the former stripper through her brother, who is also an informant on the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, and chose her for the Mahon case, telling her to act as a racist and government separatist. To gain their trust, Williams wore revealing clothes and sent suggestive photos to the brothers.

Dennis Mahon told Williams how to make bombs after she told him a fake story that she wanted to harm a child molester she knew of. One conversation had Williams asking Mahon if he ever successfully had a bomb work, of which he replied: "Yeah, diversity officer." The conversation between Mahon and Williams were recorded.

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Logan, now a diversity administrator in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, was hospitalized for three days. Four surgeries were needed to remove shrapnel from his arm and hand, a skin graft on his forearms, and restore use to one of his fingers that was close to being amputated. Mahon's attorney argued that no evidence showed that the bombing was done with the goal to seriously maim or kill Logan, as there were no deaths or life-threatening injuries from the bombing. His attorney also argued that he "often makes exaggerated self-aggrandizing claims," was an alcoholic, and that whatever he said to Williams was to impress her.

Dennis Mahon was found guilty of conspiracy to damage buildings and property by means of explosives, malicious damage of a building by means of explosives, and distribution of information related to explosives.

Daniel Mahon was acquitted of conspiracy to damage buildings and property.

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