CHICAGO — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man for illegally possessing eight “Molotov cocktail” destructive devices in a Chicago suburb earlier this month.
On Aug. 1, 2026, in Mokena, Ill., HAMED ALSAIDI knowingly possessed 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 today 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 ten years in federal prison.
Alsaidi, 31, who most recently resided in Oak Forest, Ill., is an illegal alien in the United States and currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The Mokena, Ill. Police Department and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Davis Price Shugrue.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
