Man Arrested for Allegedly Setting Fire Outside Bernie Sanders’ Vermont Office

A man was arrested Sunday in connection with a fire at the Burlington office of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I) that is being investigated as arson, the Department of Justice announced Sunday.

Shant Soghomonian, aka Michael Soghomonian, 35, previously of Northbridge, Calif., was arrested Sunday under a federal criminal complaint charging him with using fire to damage the building where an office for Sen. Sanders is located, the Vermont U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a press release.

In the complaint, federal prosecutors allege that on the morning of Friday, April 5, Soghomonian entered the building at One Church Street in Burlington, Vt., and proceeded to the third floor where Sanders’ office is located.

Security videos show the suspect spraying a liquid near the outer door of the office and then igniting a fire in the area with a handheld lighter, after which a blaze began and while Soghomonian left the building via a staircase, the DOJ said.

Prosecutors say the fire damaged the outside of the office door and surrounding area, and sprinklers discharged on multiple floors of the building.

While the Senator’s office was occupied by multiple employees during the incident, no employees were physically injured, and no other occupants of the building reported injuries.

If convicted, Soghomonian faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Sen. Sanders issued a statement regarding the incident saying he is “deeply grateful to the swift, professional, coordinated efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement in response to the fire at my Vermont office on Friday.”

“I appreciate the outpouring of support and well-wishes for me and my staff,” Sanders added. “We are proud to be able to continue to serve Vermonters during these challenging times.”