By Associated Press - Wednesday, January 20, 2021

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - An Iowa man who had a Molotov cocktail with him during a social justice protest in Omaha in May was sentenced Wednesday to 2.5 years in federal prison.

Steven Fitch, 25, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced for being in unlawful possession of a destructive device, U.S. Attorney Joe Kelly said. Fitch will serve three years of supervised release when he is released from prison.

During the protests May 31 in downtown Omaha, police saw Fitch with the Molotov cocktail in his front pants pocket. It consisted of a glass bottle filed with clear liquid and a red rag attached to the opening, prosecutors said.

Fitch also had several lighters in his pockets, prosecutors said.

Tests found the rag contained gasoline and the Molotov cocktail “was in operating condition and was capable of exploding when ignited,” Kelly said in a news release.

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