DENVER — Mohamed Soliman pleaded guilty Thursday to federal hate-crime and weapons charges arising from a firebombing that killed an 82-year-old woman and injured more than a dozen people at a demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, last year.
The guilty plea adds a federal case to the life sentence Soliman is already serving under state law. Federal prosecutors are seeking another life sentence, but U.S. District Judge John Kane said he will first review the sentencing guidelines and has not decided whether to follow that recommendation.
“I have not made up my mind about the sentence,” Kane told the court. “Sometimes I follow that advice and sometimes I don’t.”
Soliman, who is 47, admitted to nine federal hate-crime counts, including one tied to the death of Karen Diamond and eight involving attempted killings. He also pleaded guilty to three federal weapons charges related to the use and possession of incendiary devices.
A deadly attack on demonstrators
Diamond was among people taking part in “Run for Their Lives,” a group that had gathered weekly in downtown Boulder to call attention to hostages taken during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Federal prosecutors said the demonstrators were targeted because they were Jewish.
The attack took place in June 2025 on Pearl Street, a pedestrian area lined with shops and restaurants. Prosecutors alleged that Soliman approached the gathering while posing as a gardener. The flames badly burned Diamond, who died in hospital three weeks later. Other participants suffered injuries, and the attack left Boulder’s Jewish community shaken.
Diamond’s family has described the suffering she experienced as “indescribable pain,” according to prosecutors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman said in court that Soliman used explosives in a way that caused lasting and potentially fatal injuries, as well as Diamond’s death.
Prosecutors allege an extended plan
Federal authorities alleged that Soliman prepared for the attack over the course of a year. After his arrest, he told police he wanted “to kill all Zionist people,” according to an FBI affidavit cited in court proceedings. The term refers to the movement to establish and protect a Jewish state in Israel.
Authorities alleged that Soliman had positioned himself near the demonstration with incendiary materials. The federal case focuses on the motivation for the attack as well as the alleged use of weapons, making the hate-crime findings central to the prosecution’s request for a second life sentence.
- Victims: Karen Diamond died after suffering burn injuries, while more than a dozen other people were hurt.
- Federal plea: Soliman admitted to nine hate-crime counts and three weapons counts.
- Next step: His federal sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7.
Sentence remains undecided
Several victims attended Thursday’s hearing and sat quietly as the judge confirmed that Soliman understood the proceedings. Some had planned to address the court at sentencing but did not make statements during the plea hearing, Hindman told the judge.
| Proceeding | Status |
|---|---|
| Federal plea | Guilty plea entered Thursday |
| Federal sentencing | Scheduled for Jan. 7 |
| State sentence | Life sentence already being served |
Federal officials said Soliman was in the United States illegally at the time of the attack. He entered the country from Egypt on a tourist visa in 2022; that visa expired the following year. He later sought asylum and received authorization to work, although authorities said that authorization also expired.
The federal sentencing will determine the additional punishment for the hate-crime and weapons convictions. Judge Kane’s comments made clear that prosecutors’ recommendation is not automatically binding. The hearing will also give victims and their families an opportunity to describe the consequences of an attack that prosecutors say was deliberately directed at Jewish demonstrators.
