Connecticut Man Charged With Three Counts of Arson

BOSTON - A Connecticut man has been charged in connection with arsons that occurred in Swampscott and Marlborough, Mass. during the early morning hours of Oct. 7, 2026.

Haroldo Rodrigues-Jardim Neto, a/k/a "Jardim," 28, of Hartford, Conn., was charged with two counts of arson of a building or vehicle used in interstate commerce and one count of arson of federal government property. Jardim is being held in Connecticut on unrelated state charges. He will appear in federal court in Boston on Nov. 12, 2026.

According to the charging documents, on Oct. 7, 2026, Jardim traveled from Connecticut to Swampscott, Mass. where he is alleged to have set fire to the front porch of a multifamily residential rental property at approximately 2:04 a.m. A still image taken from a nearby doorbell camera captured the moment that Jardim is alleged to have started the fire:

Shortly thereafter, Jardim is alleged to have traveled to Marlborough, Mass., where he was captured on surveillance footage at a local gas station filling a portable gasoline container that had been stored in his car:

A short while later, at approximately 3:14 a.m., Jardim is alleged to have set fire to a privately-owned Mercedes Benz parked outside of a Marlborough, Mass. residence. Jardim then allegedly traveled to a nearby United States Postal Service (USPS) building, where he was observed setting fire to a USPS vehicle, using what appeared to be the same gasoline container that he had filled at the gas station.

The charge of arson provides for a sentence of no less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas A. Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Swampscott Police Department and the Marlborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.