Killian F. Melecio, Attempting to Destroy Police Vehicle, New Jersey 2020
Trenton, NJ - In a brazen display of violence, two New Jersey men have been charged with attempting to set fire to a marked police vehicle following the May 2020 protests in Trenton.
On May 31, 2020, large-scale protests were held throughout the United States, including in Trenton, in response to the death of George Floyd, who died on May 25, 2020, while in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department.
The protest in Trenton was initially peaceful but turned violent later in the day, with a group of individuals smashing store fronts, looting stores, and attacking multiple marked Trenton Police vehicles.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Killian F. Melecio, 20, of Columbus, New Jersey, and Kadeem A. Dockery, 29, of Trenton, were arrested on August 5, 2020, by special agents of the FBI and charged with one count of attempting to damage or destroy by fire a vehicle owned or possessed by an institution receiving federal financial assistance, and one count of attempting to damage or destroy by fire a vehicle used in and affecting interstate commerce.
Both counts carry a statutory mandatory minimum term of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Melecio and Dockery appeared by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni. Dockery was released, while Melecio was detained pending a bail hearing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Ramey and Michelle S. Gasparian of the U.S. Attorney's Office's Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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