Darius Eric Wilder, Firebombing, Maryland 2018

A Silver Spring man has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for firebombing his ex-girlfriend's apartment in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Darius Eric Wilder, 41, was convicted of committing arson and using a destructive device during a crime of violence. The incident occurred on April 15, 2017, at approximately 9:22 p.m., when the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service responded to a fire on the balcony of an apartment in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

According to the investigation, Wilder had loosened and removed the lug nuts from his ex-girlfriend's vehicle on March 8 and March 9, 2017. He also sent threatening text messages to her, including one in which he threatened to light himself on fire.

The evidence presented at trial showed that Wilder had conducted Google searches for images of gas lines and brake lines found under the type of vehicle driven by the woman. On the day of the firebombing, Wilder texted and called the woman repeatedly, with the last text occurring at 9:13 p.m.

The Montgomery County Office of Fire and Explosives Investigation conducted an investigation and located two incendiary bombs, commonly known as Molotov cocktails. One of the Molotov cocktails was on the balcony of the apartment, and damaged the wooden decking and children's bikes. The second Molotov cocktail was on the ground below.

The ATF Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed the presence of gasoline in the liquids within the bottles, and the ATF National Laboratory Center conducted DNA analysis of the bottles and found that Wilder was a possible contributor to the DNA profile found on one of the Molotov cocktails.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department, and Fire Chief Scott Goldstein of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service.

“The evidence at trial proved that Darius Wilder attempted to firebomb his ex-girlfriend's apartment,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “This kind of violence will not be tolerated. If he had been successful in starting the fire, Wilder could have killed all of the residents of the apartment complex where the victim resided, including the woman and her three children. We are all safer with Darius Wilder removed from the community for 35 years in federal prison, where there is no parole – ever.”

“Darius Wilder is a violent criminal who used Molotov cocktails to commit arson in an attempt to seriously injure his ex-girlfriend, her children, and endanger the surrounding community,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Rob Cekada. “We are glad to see that justice has been served and remain committed to working alongside our law enforcement and emergency service partners to stop violent offenders like this.”

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant/Respondent Name: Darius Eric Wilder

Criminal Charges: Committing arson, and using a destructive device during a crime of violence

City and State: Greenbelt, Maryland

Exact Date with Month/Day/Year: April 15, 2017 (crime date), August 16, 2018 (sentencing)

Sentence or Outcome: 35 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/silver-spring-man-sentenced-35-years-federal-prison-firebombing