Tarner Gets 10 Years for Burning Cop Cars on Capitol Hill

A Maryland man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for setting fire to U.S. Supreme Court Police cars on Capitol Hill, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.

Cody Michael Tarner, 26, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty on January 9, 2024, in federal court to a charge of arson before U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth.

According to the government’s evidence, on July 15, 2020, Tarner drove onto the United States Supreme Court’s property located on First Street Northeast, Washington D.C., and parked his vehicle in an employee-only parking spot. Tarner then poured gasoline onto three unmarked Supreme Court Police vehicles parked in Supreme Court employee-only parking spaces.

The result was a violent ignition of the gasoline, seriously damaging two of the police vehicles, and leaving Tarner with severe burns and injuries to himself. The investigation revealed that Tarner had several prior encounters with law enforcement in which he expressed anti-government and militia extremist ideologies.

Tarner admitted to starting the fire with unleaded gas he had bought in Pennsylvania for that purpose. In addition to the prison term, Judge Lamberth ordered Tarner to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution in the amount of $32,371.42.

This case was investigated by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Supreme Court of the United States Police – Protective Intelligence Unit, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole and Attorney James Peterson.

Tarner’s sentence is a stark reminder of the severe consequences of committing violent crimes on federal property. As U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves stated, ‘Today’s sentencing is a testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI, the Supreme Court Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department in bringing this individual to justice.’