Dylan Robinson has been imprisoned and fined $12 million for committing arson, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced via a statement.
On May 28, 2020, the Minnesota man helped set the Minnesota Police Department’s Third Precinct building on fire. An unidentified person that the DOJ is calling a co-conspirator held something for Robinson to light, and the dunce threw the lit object towards the building with the intent to start or fuel a fire.
The crime took place during protests revolving around the murder of George Floyd at the hands of former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin. Although Robinson pleaded guilty, his attorney asserted that the punishment was an attempt to make his client solely responsible for the actions of a thousand other people.
“There is no realistic chance that he is going to pay anything but a minuscule amount toward that,” said Robinson’s lawyer William Mauzy.
Although the $12 million fine may have been overreach simply to be punitive, the four years Dylan will be spending in prison is not.
Besides surveillance footage at the scene, Robinson was caught because of a Snapchat video.
According to The New York Times, in one video from that account that night, “an unidentified female voice can be heard saying ‘Dylan.”
In another video, someone can be heard saying they need gasoline.
Investigators later discovered at least four dozen other spots where fires had been started. Robinson was just unfortunate enough to be one of the people caught. Three other defendants are expected to be sentenced at a later date.
Demonstrating for justice is good. Destruction of public property is questionable. Documenting the crime on social media apps is just stupid. Hopefully, he will be able to pick up a few prison jobs to help carry the weight of the fine.
