A Brooklyn man has been charged with federal arson in connection with a fire that heavily damaged a historic church in June, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
John Jones, 24, is accused of setting fire to the South Bushwick Reformed Church on Bushwick Avenue on June 19, according to the criminal complaint.
The South Bushwick Reformed Church, built in the 1850s, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designated a New York City landmark in 1968.
According to prosecutors, surveillance video captured Jones attempting to enter the church between noon and 1 p.m. on June 19. After he was unable to get inside, authorities say he walked to a nearby convenience store, asked the cashier “for a lighter” and purchased it before returning to the church.
Prosecutors said Jones was seen returning to the church property before smoke and flames began on the Bushwick Avenue side of the building shortly before 1:30 p.m.
The fire grew to three alarms, drawing over 190 firefighters and EMS personnel to the scene. Officials reported heavy fire damage to the church and some surrounding properties, but no injuries were reported.
The FDNY later determined the fire was intentionally set.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said the fire “significantly damaged” the historic church and called it a “senseless act.”
“This defendant placed countless Brooklyn residents at risk when he recklessly set fire to the South Bushwick Reformed Church in broad daylight,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch added in a statement. “New Yorkers deserve to practice their faith freely and without fear, and the destruction of this sacred New York City landmark will be met with swift justice.”
If convicted, Jones faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.