WILMINGTON — A 20-year-old Middletown man was sentenced Wednesday to 26 months in prison — then released for time served — in connection with the firebombing of a Planned Parenthood in Newark in January 2020, authorities announced.

Samuel Gulick’s imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release, said David C. Weiss, U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware.

According to a news release, Gulick, while under court supervision, will also participate in mental health treatment in a controlled environment.

The sentence was a joint request from the involved parties and is based on a threat assessment performed by the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, Mr. Weiss said.

According to court documents and statements made at trial, at approximately 2:16 a.m. Jan. 3, 2020, Gulick drove to the Planned Parenthood facility. Video surveillance captured him standing on the front porch of the building and spray-painting the phrase “Deus Vult” (Latin for “God Wills”) in red letters.

Gulick then stepped off the porch, lit an object and threw it at the front window, according to court documents. The object, a Molotov cocktail, exploded, and Gulick ran away. The resulting fire burned for about a minute before self-extinguishing, and the front window and porch were damaged, documents said.

Gulick, who was in high school at the time, was arrested the next day. Shortly after his arrest, BAU performed a threat assessment, including a review of his psychological and medical records, an independent diagnosis by a clinical forensic psychologist and an extended in-person interview.

Based on this data, BAU opined that an extended period of incarceration, without providing him with the skills needed to change his life, could entrench the defendant’s mind-set, Mr. Weiss said.

Thereafter, the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked with BAU, defense counsel, U.S. Probation and a behavioral analyst to craft a long-term treatment plan to address the defendant’s medical, developmental and behavioral needs.

The U.S. attorney said Gulick is scheduled for a three-year plan and will be under court supervision during that time.

For the first year, Gulick will be housed at a residential reentry center, a facility that will enable him to participate in therapy sessions in a secure environment. Thereafter, if he makes appropriate progress, Gulick will be released to a less restrictive setting, according to the announcement.

“This was an egregious crime,” Mr. Weiss said. “I applaud the investigative efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement who worked quickly to identify and bring Mr. Gulick to justice.

“But this was a team effort in more ways than one. I also want to thank the mental health and behavioral science professionals — including those in FBI’s BAU — for the hard work and many hours they devoted to this case.”

FBI’s Wilmington Resident Agency investigated this incident, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Delaware State Police, the Newark Police Department, the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office, the New Castle County Police Department and University of Delaware police.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn A. Weede and Ruth Mandelbaum prosecuted the case.