A Long Beach man was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for bringing an unregistered Molotov cocktail to an anti-immigration enforcement protest in downtown Los Angeles.
Wrackkie Quiogue, 28, pleaded guilty to possessing the destructive device, which contained flammable ethanol and a wick designed to ignite when lighted. Police discovered him holding the device during the June protest, leading him to flee and discard the unlighted Molotov cocktail while holding a lighter.
Quiogue was taken into custody after attempting to flee from police officers who approached him as he was trying to throw the device at them. He later admitted to possessing the destructive device and failing to register it with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by federal law.
Federal prosecutors said that while many people were peacefully demonstrating against immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles County last summer, some individuals sought to use violence to obstruct or injure officers conducting the enforcement operations. Quiogue was one of those individuals who attempted to use violence during the protest.
U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang sentenced Quiogue to 30 months in federal prison.