By SDCN Staff
WASHINGTON–A 55-year-old Everett, Washington, man was sentenced 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 to unlawful possession of a destructive device, unlawful possession of ammunition, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
“This case involves serious and quite frankly horrifying conduct. Add in the racist statements, it is disgusting conduct,” U.S. District Judge John Chun said at the sentencing hearing.
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. He 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 the search of Goldstine’s home, the firearm was seized by law enforcement.
“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 Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “Thankfully, no one was hurt in this incident, which could well have killed someone.”
“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.”
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.
Washington man sentenced for pipe bomb attack on Black couple’s car
