A former Bellevue resident, MUSAB MOHAMMED MASMARI, 30, was sentenced to ten years in prison for arson after setting fire to a Seattle nightclub on New Year’s Eve 2014.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, MASMARI pleaded guilty in May 2014, admitting that he smuggled a one-gallon tank of gasoline into the nightclub and attempted to set the club on fire. The incident occurred just after midnight on December 31, 2013, at Neighbours nightclub in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez stated, “but for the actions of some very quick thinking folks, we could have a very serious tragedy.” Judge Martinez said MASMARI deserved an exceptional sentence of ten years based on the number of people in the nightclub, that it was New Year’s Eve, the busiest night of the year, and that “it was a few seconds from causing significant injury or death.”
U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan said, “The Court sent a clear message: this conduct cannot be tolerated. Motivated by ignorance and intolerance, this defendant put more than 700 lives at risk when he purposely started a fire at a crowded nightclub on New Year’s Eve.” Durkan also thanked the workers who acted quickly to prevent a horrific tragedy and appreciated the dedicated work of the Seattle Police Department and FBI in holding MASMARI accountable.
King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg commented, “This important case shows the utility of a close federal-local law enforcement partnership.” Satterberg noted that it was an exhaustive effort by federal agents and the Seattle Police Department, with invaluable assistance from prosecutors in each system.
The investigation revealed that MASMARI carried a one-gallon tank of gas into the club around 11:30 PM on December 31, 2013, concealing it in a shopping bag. Just after midnight, MASMARI poured some of the gasoline on a staircase in Neighbours and hid the gas container behind a planter at the top of the stairs. The container was still more than half full of gasoline. At 12:06 AM, MASMARI lit the gas he had poured on the stairs and hastily left the club.
MASMARI 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, as he was preparing to travel to Sea-Tac Airport for international travel. The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the FBI, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg and Senior Deputy King County Prosecuting Attorney Susan Storey.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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