JACKSONVILLE, FL - On May 31, Ivan Zecher was taken into custody at a violent Black Lives Matter demonstration near the Duval County Courthouse, after a large Patrón liquor bottle filled with gasoline was discovered in his backpack, according to police.
A U.S. Department of Justice press release stated:
"After refusing orders to disperse, Zecher was arrested by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for unlawful assembly. An officer removed Zecher’s backpack to place him in flexcuffs and noticed a liquid leaking from it.
A search of the backpack revealed a liquor bottle that smelled strongly of gasoline, a lighter, and a hatchet. Zecher admitted that he was holding the bottle in his backpack for an associate, and that he knew the bottle contained gasoline. Special Agents from the FBI were on the scene and responded immediately.
Preliminary analysis by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that the bottle – which contained gasoline (a flammable liquid) and polystyrene (a flammable gel), and the cork to which was coated with polystyrene – constituted a “Molotov cocktail,” which is an incendiary bomb and destructive device, and therefore considered a firearm under federal law. As a previously convicted felon, Zecher is prohibited from possessing a firearm."
Zecher's criminal record includes being convicted of threatening his sister with a knife, he has also been arrested for a DUI, and various probation violations.
He has been charged with unlawful assembly, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a destructive device with intent of bodily harm. Despite the seriousness of the charges, the Russian immigrant has been released on $55,000 bail.
WJXT reported:
"His fiancé and daughter, as well as future stepdaughter, were in the courtroom, looking on. She posted a message on his Facebook page Tuesday.
'People are making racist comments about my husband being an immigrant from Russia, death threats to me and our children,' she wrote. 'This is abhorrent behavior and I am determined to prove my husband’s innocence.'"
View this suspect's latest booking info...
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