Bellevue Man Pleads Guilty to Arson of Seattle Nightclub Fire

GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE – A former Bellevue resident has admitted setting fire to the Neighbours nightclub on New Year’s Eve 2014, a crime that put over 700 lives at risk. MUSAB MOHAMMED MASMARI, 30, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle today, according to U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.

Masmari was originally charged in King County Superior Court but his plea was transferred to federal court, where he now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison as per the agreement. The maximum sentence he could receive is 20 years, Judge Ricardo S. Martinez noted.

“This defendant violated people’s right to gather safely: he put more than 700 lives at risk when he purposely started a fire at a crowded nightclub on New Year’s Eve,” said Durkan. “Federal prosecution ensures a five year mandatory minimum sentence – one that is more than double the potential sentence faced in state court.”

The plea agreement details how Masmari carried a one-gallon tank of gasoline into Neighbours, located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, around 11:30 PM on December 31, 2013. He concealed the gas tank and later lit it, causing panic as over 700 patrons were evacuated.

Masmari was identified as a suspect following a review of surveillance videos and arrested by the Seattle Police Department and FBI on February 1, 2014. He has been in King County custody since his arrest and today transferred to federal custody.

King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg highlighted the collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies, noting that Masmari’s sentence reflects the inherent danger of his actions. The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg and Senior Deputy King County Prosecuting Attorney Susan Storey.

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