‘Interest in White Hate Groups’ : Suspect Held in 1 Bombing, 3 Attempts

A 51-year-old San Francisco man with an “interest in white hate groups” has been charged with one bombing and three bombing attempts in the city over the last five months, the FBI announced.

Coy Ray Phelps was not accused of the bombing attempt last Monday at a rabbi’s home, but he is charged with two other incidents the same day. The FBI indicated that it might file additional charges against Phelps, who was denied bail.

Raymond A. Mislock Jr., the San Francisco FBI’s acting special agent in charge, said Phelps was not armed when he was arrested about noon Friday by agents of the FBI, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and San Francisco police.

Mislock said agents armed with a search warrant “found evidence linking (Phelps)” to the bomb incidents and evidence of his interest in white hate groups. “At this time we have no indication he is affiliated with any white hate group,” Mislock said. “We believe he acted independently.”

Ammunition Found

Mislock’s associates from the other agencies indicated that Phelps’ garage, at his north-central San Francisco home, yielded hate literature and rounds of ammunition but no explosives.

Mislock said the literature was similar to that associated with the Aryan Nation and the American Nazi Party, but he refused to be specific about what was found.

“He was on his own,” said Mislock, adding that there was “no indication there are other individuals involved” in the bomb incidents.

Phelps was formally charged before U.S. Magistrate Frederick J. Woelflen with the placement of bombs at the Business/Ethnic Studies Building on the campus of San Francisco State University on May 14, at the Congregation Adath Israel on July 1 and at the Horowitz Community Center last Monday. He is also charged with the placement of a pipe bomb that exploded in a doorway of the Humanist Party office in San Francisco last Monday.

Anti-Semitic literature was found Monday at the Humanist Party bombing and at the site of attempts at the community center, where people were celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and at the home of Rabbi Jacob Traub. Police defused the latter two bombs.