Date: 05-15-2024

Case Style:

United States of America v. Cody Michael Tarner

Case Number: 1:20-CR-183

Judge: Royce C. Lamberth

Court: The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (Washington County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C.

Defendant's Attorney:

Click Here For The Best Washington, D.C. Criminal Defense Lawyer Directory

Description:

Washington, D.C. criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Setting Fire to U.S. Supreme Court Police Cars on Capitol Hill

Maryland Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Setting Fire to U.S. Supreme Court Police Cars on Capitol Hill

On July 15, 2020, Cody Michael Tarner, age 36, 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 got out of his car and walked around the Supreme Court property. Tarner then returned to his car and pulled out a red gas can. At 1:48 p.m., Tarner was observed on security camera footage pouring gasoline onto three unmarked Supreme Court Police vehicles parked in Supreme Court employee-only parking spaces. The unmarked vehicles had emergency police lights visible from the outside of the vehicles, and one of the vehicles had emergency police lights on the roof of the vehicle.

While pouring the gasoline on the vehicles, some of it splashed onto Tarner’s clothing. Tarner lit one of the vehicles on fire. The result was a violent ignition of the gasoline. Tarner was engulfed in flames resulting in severe burns and injuries to himself. The fire seriously damaged two of the police vehicles, one of which was a total loss.

Tarner admitted to starting the fire with unleaded gas he had bought in Pennsylvania for that purpose. The investigation revealed that Tarner had several prior encounters with law enforcement in which he expressed anti-government and militia extremist ideologies. Tarner also claimed to be the leader of an identified militia group.

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.

Outcome:

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to three years of supervised release and pay restitution in the amount of $32,371.42.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: