Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Setting Fire to Two Rockford Churches (DOJ)

ROCKFORD - A man was sentenced today to five years in federal prison for setting fire to two Rockford churches.

MARZAVIOUS THOMAS set fire to the churches on Oct. 19, 2022. The first arson occurred at Bethesda Covenant Church, 2101 E. State St. in Rockford. Thomas poured gasoline on entrance doors of the church and on the ground, causing a fire. Thomas then drove to Crosspoint Church, 3215 E. State St. in Rockford, where he threw a piece of concrete through the glass entry doors. He poured liquid from a container and unsuccessfully attempted to light the liquid. Thomas later returned with an object he lit on fire and dropped into the entryway through the broken glass doors, causing a fire to develop rapidly. The fires caused a combined damage to the churches of more than $35,000.

Thomas, 31, of Rockford, pleaded guilty last year to federal arson charges. In addition to the five-year prison term, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston ordered Thomas to pay restitution to the churches.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Valuable assistance was provided by the Rockford Fire Department and the Rockford Police Department.

"Arson is a serious violent crime, and it is by sheer luck that these fires did not set Bethesda and Crosspoint churches ablaze, or seriously harm or kill anyone inside," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S Maveus argued in the government's sentencing memorandum.