An East Longmeadow man is being sentenced to five years in prison for attempting to firebomb a Jewish assisted living facility. The Justice Department says John Rathbun was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday on two counts of transporting an explosive device and attempting to maliciously destroy a building. Prosecutors say a homemade firebomb with a partially-charred wick made of pages from a Christian religious pamphlet was found at the entrance of the Jewish Geriatric Services Lifecare building in Longmeadow in April 2020.
“Mr. Rathbun’s hate-filled and ruthless actions put the entire Longmeadow community at risk,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Today’s sentence sends a powerful message that hate and bigotry have no place in Massachusetts. Everyone deserves to live free of fear and authentically and fully as themselves. My office will continue to support and work alongside the Jewish community with our law enforcement partners to investigate any acts of violence rooted in bias or hate.”
“There is no way to undo the damage John Rathbun did to the elderly residents of this Jewish assisted living facility, and to the entire community, with his hateful, repulsive, and violent behavior. But today’s sentence does hold him accountable for placing a lit firebomb in their path and for lying to us about it,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Make no mistake, the FBI will use every investigative tool available, along with the expertise and skills of our partners on our Western Massachusetts Joint Terrorism Task Force to identify, assess, and disrupt threats like this one in order to keep our communities safe.”
Judge Mark Mastroianni also barred Rathbun from entering the grounds of the Jewish Geriatric Services Lifecare property.
(Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)