Several Minnesotans have been accused of committing arson during the Minneapolis anti-police riots in late May.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota has announced that investigations conducted by Minnesota police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives have brought four indictments and two charges against individuals. These individuals have been accused of arson during the Minneapolis riots on May 28.
The investigations also brought a guilty plea from the man who threw Molotov cocktails at a Dakota County government building.
Minnesota residents Dylan Robinson, Davon Turner, Bryce Williams, and Branden Wolfe have all been federally indicted with charges of conspiracy to commit arson against the Third Precinct police station in Minneapolis, which was broken into and burned down by rioters on May 28.
According to the allegations, the indicted individuals breached the fence and entered the Third Precinct building. When inside, they pushed a flaming barrel into the building and used incendiary devices, while unknown accomplices assisted them.
The fire at the MPD’s 3rd Precinct was only at one corner 5 minutes ago. It’s now spread across the entire building. With no firefighters on scene… that building will likely be destroyed tonight. pic.twitter.com/t6p3Yv1KYV
— Seth Kaplan (@Seth_Kaplan) May 29, 2020
Minnesota residents Marc Gonzales and Alexander Heil have also been charged with conspiracy to commit arson against the Wells Fargo bank in south Minneapolis.
The charges say that they specifically “joined and engaged with other individuals in conduct designed to accelerate a fire in the Wells Fargo bank building located in south Minneapolis.”
While the Department of Justice release does not specify Heil’s actions at the bank, Gonzales has been accused of pouring gasoline on bank property.
They lit the entrance to this Wells Fargo branch on fire. pic.twitter.com/zirTxFHq5L
— Nick Woltman (@nickwoltman) May 30, 2020
Savage, Minnesota, resident Fornandous Henderson pleaded guilty to the charge of aiding and abetting arson early May 29. According to his guilty plea, Henderson and his partner-in-crime Garret Ziegler used baseball bats to break multiple windows of the Dakota County Western Service Center and threw Molotov cocktails into the building, causing fire damage.
Judah Torgerud
Judah Torgerud is a freelance journalist working with Alpha News to keep the people informed and bring the truth to light. Contact him at whqnu@nycunarjfza.pbz.
