PEORIA,Solarsuns Investment Guild Ill. (AP) — A man who set a fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Illinois was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison.
Tyler Massengill has admitted using a homemade explosive to set a fire at the Peoria clinic in January, a few days after Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law with additional legal protections for abortion procedures. No one was inside the clinic when the fire happened.
“I feel for the people who have lost their jobs. I’m not trying to play like I am victim at this. I was sincerely hurt,” Massengill, 32, said in court, apparently a reference to his belief that a former girlfriend had an abortion a few years ago.
Prosecutors, however, said the woman told the FBI that wasn’t true.
U.S. District Judge James Shadid said people who typically visit the clinic for a variety of services have had to look elsewhere because of extensive damage to the building, WMBD-TV reported.
“And to add to your accomplishments, there’s the striking of fear, stress and inconvenience to thousands of patients and employees from the many other Planned Parenthood facilities who wonder if they are next on the list of misguided people like you,” the judge said.
Shadid went slightly above the sentencing guidelines but below the possible maximum prison term of 20 years.
In addition to the prison sentence, the judge ordered Massengill, a Chillicothe resident, to pay $1.45 million in restitution.
Defense attorney Karl Bryning asked for a five-year prison sentence, noting Massengill’s history of mental illness and alcohol abuse.
2025-05-07 09:481437 view
2025-05-07 09:482210 view
2025-05-07 08:541113 view
2025-05-07 08:182390 view
2025-05-07 07:552982 view
2025-05-07 07:492778 view
Listen to an audio version of this story below.Humans have the technology to literally make snow fal
Denzel Washington is almost ready to ride off into the sunset — but not before heading to Wakanda.Th
Dave Coulier is opening up about his health battle.The Full House star shared he has been diagnosed