In Tampa, Florida, the University of South Florida Police Department has successfully identified three individuals accused of disrupting a Muslim student prayer gathering in a campus parking garage last week. The case has now been forwarded to the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office for a decision on potential charges.

For the Muslim Student Association (MSA) members, the identification of these individuals has provided a sense of relief.

“Honestly, it was a relief for us. It felt like a victory because these individuals have acted similarly in various places without facing consequences,” expressed Malak Albustami of the USF Muslim Student Association.

The USF police have identified the men involved as Christopher Svochak, Richard Penskoski, and Ricardo Yepez.

Investigators revealed that the men approached and harassed the Muslim students during their prayer session. The incident, captured on video, has since gained significant attention online.

Svochak, a Texas native, has amassed a social media following for provocative street evangelism, with videos showing confrontations with Muslim communities across the country.

“We went to see their social media pages, and we found that they’ve been doing this. So many students across America — attacked twice in Texas, in Michigan,” Albustami said.

USF police said they have recommended felony charges for disturbing a religious assembly with a hate crime enhancement. Additional recommended charges include disorderly conduct and disrupting a school or lawful assembly.

A legal expert said one key question will be whether the men’s behavior meets the threshold for a crime.

“What we really have here now is words — hateful, horrible, disgusting things being said to people. And does that constitute a crime here in the state of Florida?” said Anthony Rickman, a criminal defense attorney, who is not affiliated with the case.

The Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office issued the following statement to 8 On Your Side:

“Our office takes hate crimes seriously, and we are committed to ensuring that no one is harassed or targeted because of their religious beliefs. People have the right to gather in prayer without interference, and we will vigorously pursue prosecution when that right is violated. Our office has been working with the USF Police Department as they conducted the investigation. Now that the case has been referred to our office, we will review all the evidence to make an appropriate filing decision.”

Albustami said USF administrators have offered temporary and long-term accommodations to help students feel safe during prayer gatherings.

“They were saying that they might be able to accommodate us and put us in a bigger place as a long-term solution,” Albustami said.

USF police have also issued no-trespass orders against all three men, preventing them from returning to campus.