Man Arrested Carrying 8 Molotov Cocktails Now Faces Federal Charges: US Attorney

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury on Monday indicted a man for illegally possessing eight “Molotov cocktail” destructive devices in Mokena earlier this month.

On Aug. 1, Hamed Alsaidi was found with eight glass liquor and beer bottles containing an ignitable liquid and a wicking component in the form commonly referred to as a "Molotov cocktail," according to an indictment returned Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

The indictment charges Alsaidi with eight counts of possessing an unregistered destructive device. Each count is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois.

Previously, 31-year-old Alsaidi was only charged in Will County. Federal authorities said he most recently lived in Oak Forest, but Mokena police reported him as an Oak Lawn resident.

Alsaidi is reportedly in the United States illegally and is currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at an Indiana detention center.

Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.

Police officers first encountered Alsaidi, 31, outside a closed gas station. Police removed him from the business and drove him to another gas station that was open. Alsaidi at the time gave officers the name Hakmat Saidi, officials said.

Later that morning, Alsaidi, 31, was found walking in the roadway at 191st and LaGrange Road, Mokena police said. He was arrested for being in the roadway and obstructing officers by providing officers the false name.

Authorities said a search of Alsaidi's belongings revealed a backpack filled with Molotov cocktails and a map mentioning a suburban mosque.

In an alert sent to area mosques, the Will County Sheriff's Office said Alsaidi had a "hand-drawn map" of the area around Orland Park Prayer Center, located at 16530 104th Avenue in Orland Park. The Sheriff's Office said that they believed the location was a potential target for Alsaidi during the 4 a.m. hour of prayer.

Due to a language barrier, Benton said Mokena police were unable to verify the writing targeted the mosque.

The FBI, State Fire Marshal's Office and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms assisted in the investigation.