NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FEDERAL LAWYERS
How long for burning religious property
|Thanks for visiting Spodek Law Group. We’re a second-generation law firm managed by Todd Spodek, and we’ve spent over 40 years handling criminal defense cases most attorneys won’t touch. You might recognize our work from the Anna Delvey case that became a Netflix series, or from defending the juror in the Ghislaine Maxwell misconduct matter, or the Alec Baldwin stalking case. If you’re reading this article, someone you know is facing federal charges for damaging religious property—and you need to understand what prison time actually looks like in 2025.
Burning a church, mosque, synagogue, or any religious property isn’t just arson. When religion is the reason for the fire, you’re facing 18 USC 247—a federal statute with penalties that range from one year to life in prison depending on what happens during the fire. This article explains the actual sentencing ranges, what recent 2025 defendants received, and why these cases carry consequences far beyond typical arson charges.
The Statutory Framework Under 18 USC 247
The federal statute has graduated penalties based on what happens during the offense. If you just damage religious property and no one gets hurt, you’re looking at one year maximum. But federal prosecutors charge cases involving fire, explosives, or significant destruction—not spray paint on a church door.
When fire is involved, the penalties jump dramatically. If you use fire or explosives and cause bodily injury to anyone—including firefighters or police officers responding to the scene—the maximum sentence is 40 years. If someone dies from the fire, or if the crime involves kidnapping or attempted murder, you can get life in prison or even the death penalty.
The statute doesn’t care if you intended to hurt someone. If you set fire to a synagogue at 2 a.m. thinking no one is inside, and a security guard gets injured, you’re facing up to 40 years. Fire spreads—people get hurt—and the sentencing ranges reflect that reality.
What Defendants Actually Received in 2025
Statutory maximums tell you what’s possible. Actual sentences tell you what happens. In 2025, federal courts handed down sentences across the full spectrum for religious property arsons.
A Connecticut man who burned a church as a juvenile got three years in federal prison. That’s 36 months with no parole—federal defendants serve at least 85% of their sentence.
Natasha Marie O’Dell got six years for burning the Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church in Snohomish County, Washington. The fire caused more than $3.2 million in damage, and the church had to rent a middle school just to hold services while rebuilding.
Christopher Scott Pritchard received nine years and three months for destroying a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Missouri. The interstate commerce arson charge carried a mandatory minimum of five years—the judge went higher. Pritchard was also ordered to pay nearly $7 million in restitution.
Eric Ridenour got 36 years for multiple church arsons in Douglas, Arizona. The fires were motivated by religious bias against female and gay church leaders.
These aren’t outliers—these are 2025 cases prosecuted under 18 USC 247 and related arson statutes. The sentences reflect how seriously federal courts treat religious property destruction, especially when fire is the method.
The Restitution Reality
Prison time is only part of the financial devastation. Federal judges routinely order full restitution for religious property destruction—and modern church buildings are expensive to replace.
O’Dell’s fire caused $3.2 million in damage, and the restitution hearing hasn’t even happened yet. Pritchard was ordered to pay $7 million. These aren’t negotiable amounts—federal restitution orders follow defendants for life.
You can’t discharge restitution in bankruptcy. If you get out of prison after 10 years, you’re still on the hook for millions. The government will garnish wages, seize tax refunds, and attach any assets you acquire.
Many defendants think insurance covers the damage so restitution won’t apply—that’s wrong. Churches often underinsure because they’re nonprofits operating on tight budgets. When the building burns, there’s a gap between insurance coverage and actual rebuilding costs. The defendant pays that gap.
How Hate Motivation Increases Sentences
If prosecutors prove you selected the target because of religion, race, or ethnicity, the federal sentencing guidelines add a three-level enhancement under USSG § 3A1.1.
A three-level increase shifts you up on the sentencing table. If your base offense level puts you at 60-72 months, the hate crime enhancement could push you to 84-105 months. That’s two extra years at the low end, three years at the high end—just for the motivation behind the crime.
In religious property cases, the targeting is usually obvious. You don’t accidentally burn a mosque. You don’t randomly select a synagogue. The choice of target proves the bias—and judges impose higher sentences accordingly.
What About First-Time Offenders
Most people facing these charges have no prior federal criminal history. It matters—but not as much as they hope.
Base offense level for arson starts at 24 under the guidelines. Add enhancements for damage amount, use of fire, and hate motivation—you’re easily at level 30 or higher. At level 30 with criminal history category I, the guidelines recommend 97-121 months. That’s eight to ten years for a first-time offender.
Federal judges are cautious about downward variances in civil rights cases. Adult first-time offenders should expect sentences in the six-to-ten-year range if they go to trial and lose.
Can You Reduce Your Sentence
If you cooperate early and accept responsibility before trial, you can reduce your sentence. The acceptance of responsibility reduction (usually 3 levels) and a 5K1.1 motion for substantial assistance can reduce your sentence by 30-50% in some cases—but you’re still going to prison. The question is how long.
A defendant who pleads guilty early and cooperates fully might get six years instead of twelve. That’s a huge difference when you’re living it, but it’s not freedom. Federal judges rarely grant probation in arson cases involving religious property.
Why You Need Federal Defense Counsel Immediately
If you or someone you know is under investigation for religious property damage, time matters. We’ve negotiated plea agreements that avoided mandatory minimums and hate crime enhancements. We’ve secured cooperation agreements that cut decades off potential sentences. But that requires getting involved before the indictment—before statements to federal agents.
Federal agents are skilled interrogators. They’ll tell you cooperation helps, that explaining your side matters. Every word you say gets used against you. Defendants who talk without lawyers almost always make their cases worse—they provide evidence of intent, they admit to facts that eliminate defenses.
At Spodek Law Group, we’ve represented clients in cases that others said were unwinnable—that’s what we’re known for. Our managing partner, Todd Spodek, is a second-generation criminal defense lawyer who has handled hundreds of federal cases over many, many years of practice. Our team includes former federal prosecutors who understand how the government builds these cases.
We’ve handled cases involving allegations as serious as the Anna Delvey fraud that became a Netflix series, juror misconduct in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial, and stalking charges related to Alec Baldwin. Religious property destruction cases are exactly the kind of high-stakes federal prosecution where our experience makes the difference between a decade in prison and a negotiated resolution.
If federal agents want to talk to you about a fire at a church, mosque, or synagogue, you need a lawyer before that conversation happens. We’re available 24/7.