SANTA ANA, California – A federal grand jury today issued a four-count indictment against a Long Beach man for his role in the May 15, 2018 bombing of the Magyar Kozmetica spa in Aliso Viejo that killed the man’s ex-girlfriend and seriously injured two other people.
Stephen William Beal, 59, who was arrested earlier this month pursuant to a criminal complaint, was charged with four felonies:
- use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death,
- malicious destruction of a building resulting in death,
- use of a destructive device in relation to a crime of violence, and
- possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Beal, who is currently being held without bond in federal custody, is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on March 25.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The charges of use a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death and malicious destruction of a building resulting in death each carry a potential sentence of life without parole in federal prison. The charge of use of a destructive device in relation to a crime of violence carries an additional consecutive penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The charge of possession of an unregistered destructive device carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes special agents with the FBI and deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Task Force members who participated in the investigation included IRS Criminal Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the Los Angeles Police Department; the Long Beach Police Department; the Irvine Police Department; the Anaheim Police Department; and the Orange County Fire Authority.
The case against Beal is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Takla and Annamartine Salick of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section.
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