An Illinois man faces nearly nine years in prison for setting a boarded-up Sprint store on fire during a protest in Minneapolis.
According to Fox News, Matthew Rupert, 29, was sentenced to 105 months in prison and three years of supervised release after filming himself live on social media, setting the cell phone store on fire during protests over George Floyd, who was slain Minneapolis police.
“Matthew Rupert chose to drive more than 400 miles from his home in Illinois to Minnesota to engage in violence and destruction, all while broadcasting it for the world to see. Peaceful protest was not on his agenda,” said Acting U.S. Attorney W. Anders Folk, Fox reports.” Arson, looting, property damage, and the glorification of it, will not be tolerated. Today, justice has caught up with Mr. Rupert as he must now account for his crimes.”
“I lit it on fire!” Rupert yelled after telling people inside the store to gather boxes on the ground to light them on fire. Police allegedly found Rupert with a hammer and a flashlight when he was arrested.
Breaking: Matthew Rupert, 29, of Galesburg, Ill., has been sentenced to nearly 9 years in federal prison after being convicted for his role in the Minneapolis BLM-Antifa riots last year. He handed out explosives & set a store on fire. This is the longest sentence for a BLM rioter pic.twitter.com/Waj0vt4kXf
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) August 10, 2021
