Harvard Medical School Fireworks Blast: Two Men Sentenced to Probation
Logan Patterson and Dominick Cardoza avoided jail after setting off fireworks in a Harvard Medical School building. Each received three years probation and a $28,517 fine.
No prison time for pair who set off fireworks at Harvard Medical School
Two Massachusetts men escaped a prison sentence Thursday after pleading guilty to detonating fireworks inside a Harvard Medical School building last October, ABC News US reports. Logan David Patterson, 19, and Dominick Frank Cardoza, 21, were each sentenced to three years of probation, 300 hours of community service and a shared fine of $28,517.
U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley declined a government request for six months of home confinement for the two. "I believe the harsh consequences that flowed from this conviction are a sufficient deterrent," Kelley said from the bench.
The incident took place before dawn on a Halloween night when the pair were in the Boston area attending college parties, including events at the Wentworth Institute of Technology. Surveillance footage captured them walking toward the Goldenson Building wearing face coverings. According to the charging document, they accessed the building by climbing scaffolding to reach the roof.
Once inside, Patterson and Cardoza lit a Roman candle outside the structure and placed a cherry bomb in a locker inside the building, where it exploded. A Harvard police officer responding to a triggered fire alarm observed two people running from the scene. No injuries were reported.
In April, both men pleaded guilty to conspiring to damage a building using a large commercial firework — a federal charge that carried a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Prosecutors, in their sentencing memorandum, acknowledged the defendants' motives but did not minimize the offense. "The defendants trespassed on a university building in the middle of the night wearing face coverings, exploded a firework that caused significant property damage and public alarm, and fled the scene," they wrote, describing the act as driven by "immaturity and revelry rather than more serious intentions to cause damage or fear."
At his sentencing, Patterson addressed the court directly. "This was a very serious act. At the time, I thought my actions were harmless and they turned out to be much bigger," he said.
Outside the courthouse, Cardoza's attorney Stefan Rozembersky argued the sentence was proportionate. "This was not a terrorist attack. This was not a coordinated attack against the government or aimed at Harvard; this was a couple of kids with firecrackers, not even bombs," Rozembersky said, characterizing the episode as "mischief that went way out of control."
Rozembersky nonetheless noted that the conviction carries lasting consequences. "It's not without severity. Having this felony record is going to keep them from having some things in life and harm them for a long time," he said. Neither defendant had a prior criminal record; one is currently employed by a general contractor, the other works in landscaping.
In addition to probation and fines, the pair are required to write a formal letter of apology to Harvard University. A university spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: ABC News US