A disgruntled former employee has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for attacking a St. Charles restaurant with Molotov cocktails.
Rashaad Cotton, 25, of St. Louis County, was sentenced on Wednesday for the attack on the Sauce on the Side restaurant on Beale Street.
Cotton pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in December to a felony charge of attempting to commit arson.
According to investigators, Cotton first threw a Molotov cocktail on a residential street in a suburban area in St. Charles on the evening of April 30, 2021. Twenty minutes later, he threw another Molotov cocktail on the northeast side of the restaurant and one near the front door.
A juvenile female with Cotton threw a Molotov cocktail at a patio area. The restaurant was open and serving customers at the time of the attack.
Cotton told police that he had been fired from the restaurant the night before and wanted to scare people.
Cotton also has pending charges in St. Charles County Circuit Court related to the attack.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware is prosecuting the case.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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