Musab Mohammed Masmari, Arson, Washington 2014

A 30-year-old man, who set fire to a Seattle nightclub on New Year’s Eve in 2013, pleaded guilty to a federal arson charge in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

MUSAB MOHAMMED MASMARI, a former Bellevue resident, was originally charged in King County Superior Court but pleaded guilty today to a criminal charge filed yesterday in federal court. Under the terms of the plea agreement, both sides will recommend a mandatory minimum five years in prison when MASMARI is sentenced on July 31, 2014.

The fire, which occurred at Neighbours nightclub in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, put more than 700 lives at risk at around 12:06 AM on January 1, 2014. MASMARI poured gasoline on a staircase and lit it, causing the fire to spread. He was identified as a suspect following a review of surveillance videos and was arrested by the Seattle Police Department and FBI on February 1, 2014.

The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg and Senior Deputy King County Prosecuting Attorney Susan Storey.

“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 U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. “Thankfully, the staff and patrons at Neighbours moved quickly to evacuate the club and extinguish the flames. Federal prosecution ensures a five year mandatory minimum sentence – one that is more than double the potential sentence faced in state court.”

MASMARI faces up to 20 years in prison, but under the plea agreement, both sides will recommend a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. He was transferred to federal custody today and is currently incarcerated.

The sentence will be determined by U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez, who is not bound by the recommendation.

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