Long Beach man pleads guilty to possessing Molotov cocktail during ICE protests

A Los Angeles County man pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing a Molotov cocktail during a summer protest in downtown Los Angeles stemming from federal illegal immigration enforcement operations.

Wrackkie Quiogue, 27, of Long Beach, entered a plea to a single federal count of possession of an unregistered destructive device, which carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Sentencing was set for Feb. 26 in downtown Los Angeles.

A Molotov cocktail is a hand-thrown incendiary weapon consisting of a breakable container filled with flammable substances and equipped with a fuse, typically a glass bottle filled with flammable liquids sealed with a cloth wick.

An affidavit filed with the charge states that Quiogue possessed the handmade device on June 8 while holding a lighter during protests near federal buildings in downtown Los Angeles. The document says Los Angeles Police Department officers saw Quiogue with the device and quickly arrested him, but he threw the device as he was attempting to flee.

"When protesting crosses the line into violence, the penalties will be severe," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement when Quiogue was charged.

Essayli said that an attack such as the one alleged in the complaint "could have resulted in life-altering or life-ending injuries to police officers, sheriff's deputies, and innocent bystanders. We will not relent in dispensing swift justice to criminals who take advantage of our country's freedoms to engage in lawlessness."

In October, a federal judge had disqualified Essayli and said he “cannot continue to perform any role” as U.S. attorney, but he allowed him to revert to the top deputy role, as reported by the New York Times. 

Additional reporting by City News Service