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Man accused of planning Mosque shooting sentenced to prison

Bernandino Bolatete

Jacksonville — The 70-year-old man accused of planning a shooting at a Jacksonville mosque was sentenced to five years in prison Monday.

In May, Bernandino Bolatete was found guilty of possesing an unregistered firearm silencer.

Officials began investigating Bolatete in late October of 2017, after a confidential source said he was planning an attack on the Islamic center, Sheriff Mike Williams said.

An undercover officer got in contact with Bolatete and federal and state investigators were notified, Williams said.

A criminal complaint says Bolatete and the undercover officer went to shooting ranges together several times during the investigation.

During those meetings, Bolatete expressed hatred for Muslims and made threats to shoot up the mosque several times, officials say.

Following Bolatete’s release he’s sentenced to two years of supervised release.