MADISON, WI (TIP): Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, a 29-year-old resident of Madison, Wisconsin, has entered a guilty plea for his involvement in the firebombing of a Madison office building in May 2022. Roychowdhury, an Indian American, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive.
Roychowdhury now faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin said in a press release. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 14, 2024.
The incident, which occurred on May 8, 2022, prompted law enforcement response to an active fire at an office building in Madison. Upon investigation, police discovered a broken mason jar under a shattered window, burnt lid and screw top, and a purple disposable lighter nearby. Another mason jar with a singed blue cloth, containing a clear fluid smelling like an accelerant, was found on the opposite wall. Outside the building, spray-painted messages included, “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and a large “A” with a circle around it and the number “1312.”
Law enforcement collected DNA evidence from the scene, initiating a meticulous investigation. In March 2023, Roychowdhury emerged as a suspect after local police observed him discarding food, which was later found to match DNA collected from the crime scene. The suspect then attempted to flee to Guatemala, leading to his arrest at Boston Logan International Airport on March 28, 2023.
As American Bazaar reported, Roychowdhury traveled from Madison to Portland, Maine, and purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City.
The case resulted from a collaborative effort by various law enforcement agencies, including the Madison Police Department, ATF, FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and others.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman and Trial Attorney Justin Sher are prosecuting the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck handling the defendant’s appearance in Boston following his arrest.
“I am deeply grateful to our local and federal law enforcement partners for their dedication and persistence in solving this crime,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “In our shared American experiment, conflicting views must be resolved through discussion, the courts, and the ballot box. Arson and other acts of domestic terrorism are crimes that will be punished and have no place in a healthy democracy.”
“There is no place in our society for flagrant disregard for safety through firebombing a place of business, and today’s change of plea is one step further to closure for the victims,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Engelbert, of the St. Paul Field Division. “This was a complicated investigation. I am proud of the work our agents put into this and am appreciative of the tremendous team effort that went into this investigation.”
“The firebombing was an unacceptable attack on the safety and constitutionally protected rights of every citizen in the state of Wisconsin,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “I commend the thorough and exhaustive investigative efforts of the FBI with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners whose efforts led to the identification and subsequent guilty plea. Let this be a warning to anyone who seeks to use intimidation through threats or committing acts of violence, the FBI along with our partners will work together to ensure that those who break the law are held accountable.”