Everett, Washington Man who Used a Pipe Bomb to Blow Up Black Couple’s Car Sentenced to Five Years in Prison (DOJ)

A 55-year-old Everett, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison for three federal felonies including a pipe bomb explosion that destroyed a neighbor's car. Steven Goldstine pleaded guilty in September 2025, to unlawful possession of a destructive device; unlawful possession of ammunition; and unlawful possession of a firearm. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said "This case involves serious and quite frankly horrifying conduct. Add in the racist statements it is disgusting conduct."

"Fueled by hatred for a neighbor's race, the defendant used a pipe bomb to cause an explosion and destroy property," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "This sentence reflects the Department of Justice's steadfast commitment to vigorously prosecute racially motivated crimes and ensure perpetrators are held accountable."

"This defendant turned his racial hatred into a potentially deadly explosion, using a pipe bomb to blow up a car. Not everything is a hate crime, but we believe this defendant acted on racial hatred," said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. "After the bombing he called the victims to gloat, leaving a message with racial slurs. This time in prison will protect our community."

"After years of hateful and violent behavior, Mr. Goldstine is now being sentenced for exploding his neighbors' car, bragging about it, and leaving an offensive message for the victims," said Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office. "Thankfully, no one was hurt in this incident, which could well have killed someone. Together with our partners, the Puget Sound Joint Terrorism Task Force will not stand for such violent intimidation and will remain vigilant in combatting such dangerous acts."

"No one should fear violence based on their beliefs or identity, and terror motivated by hate will not be tolerated," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson of the ATF Seattle Field Division. "This sentence reflects our commitment to investigate and prosecute reprehensible, hate-fueled acts of violence to the fullest extent of the law."

"The violence and hatred behind this crime had no place in Everett, and our detectives worked closely with our federal partners to ensure a thorough investigation and a strong case," said Everett Police Chief John DeRousse. "The victim in this incident showed resilience in the face of a senseless act meant to intimidate and divide. We are grateful for the collaboration with the FBI, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney's Office that ultimately brought accountability and helped reinforce that everyone in our community deserves to feel safe."

According to records filed in the case, on Dec. 31, 2024, Everett Police responded to reports of an explosion in a car parked at an apartment complex. The victims told police they suspected Goldstine due to a conflict they had with him. The day after the explosion they received a voice message from Goldstine using racial slurs and referencing the explosion in the vehicle. The police investigation used video surveillance from the victim's apartment and nearby businesses to link the bomber to clothing found at Goldstine's home.

The investigation also led to the guilty pleas and sentencing for two other federal crimes: unlawful possession of ammunition and unlawful possession of a firearm. Goldstine is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions for burglary, arson, and possession of stolen property.

Goldstine illegally possessed more than 700 rounds of ammunition which were seized from his home when it was searched following the pipe bomb explosion. Previously, in September 2020, law enforcement searched Goldstine's residence after he pointed a gun at protestors in Everett. The action was captured on video. In that search of Goldstine's home, the firearm was seized by law enforcement.

In asking for a 78 month prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, "Goldstine has a deeply troubling history of violence, dating back to several serious convictions for arson in the late '80s and early '90s. Violence has remained a consistent part of his life over the past five years, from assaulting a neighbor and fighting with police in 2019, to pointing a gun at protestors in 2020 to making death threats on YouTube in 2022… to bombing (the victim's) car at the end of December 2024."

Judge Chun ordered Goldstine to be on three years of supervised release following prison. For one of those years he ordered that Goldstine be on electronic location monitoring.

The case was investigated by the Everett Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the FBI. The Snohomish County Prosecutors Office provided valuable assistance.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica M. Manca for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.