Philip J. Buyno, a 73-year-old man from Prophetstown, Illinois, has pleaded guilty to attempting to use fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce. Prosecutors stated that Buyno admitted to driving his car into a planned abortion clinic in Danville, Illinois, on May 20 of this year, with the intention of setting the building on fire before it could be used as a reproductive health clinic.
According to prosecutors, Buyno brought several containers filled with gasoline and used his car to breach the front entrance of the commercial building. However, Danville police officers responded to an alarm at the building around 4:30 a.m. and found Buyno stuck inside his car, which he had backed into the entrance.
During a search of the vehicle, FBI agents discovered bottles containing gasoline, a hatchet, road flares, old tires, a pack of matches, and wooden beams that Buyno had used to fortify the trunk of the car. Buyno is scheduled to be sentenced on February 5 and could face five to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, three years of supervised release, and restitution for the damage caused to the building.
