SCRANTON, PA – A New Jersey man is facing serious federal charges after allegedly torching a Pennsylvania rental property with Molotov cocktails while tenants slept inside. Tyrie Rashad Dunn, a.k.a. “Chaos,” 37, of Lodi, New Jersey, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for maliciously damaging a building by fire or explosive material and use of explosive material in the commission of a felony.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the January 17, 2025, attack on a Pottsville, Pennsylvania rental property was a calculated act of violence. Dunn allegedly carried and deployed two Molotov cocktails, igniting the building in the early morning hours. Five tenants were asleep inside at the time. The resulting blaze caused extensive damage and forced several residents to jump from second-story windows to escape the flames, sustaining bodily injuries in the process.
This wasn’t a simple act of vandalism. This was a deliberate attempt to endanger lives. Dunn didn’t stick around to face the music. He fled back to New Jersey, but his escape was short-lived. Ten days later, he was apprehended following a high-speed car chase and, adding insult to injury, allegedly assaulted law enforcement officers during the arrest. Separate criminal charges stemming from that incident are currently pending in the District of New Jersey.
The investigation, a collaborative effort between the Pottsville Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), quickly zeroed in on Dunn. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is leading the prosecution, promising a vigorous pursuit of justice. This case is also tied into Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative designed to combat violent crime and dismantle transnational criminal organizations.
Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice program, is about more than just this one case. It’s a full-scale effort to “repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.” It combines the resources of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted on the federal charges, Dunn faces a maximum penalty of 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release after serving his time, and a hefty fine. However, the final sentence will be determined by the Judge, taking into account federal sentencing statutes and guidelines. It’s crucial to remember that an indictment is not a declaration of guilt; Dunn is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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