Man From Maine Charged with Hate Crime, Alleged Arson of Black Church

On April 15, 2023, the Division of Justice in Massachusetts issued a press launch stating {that a} Maine man was charged in federal courtroom in Springfield, in reference to a hearth that destroyed The Martin Luther King, Jr. Group Presbyterian Church. The occasion occurred on the predominately Black church on Dec. 28, 2023.

In a legal criticism, authorities charged 44-year-old Dushko Vulchev of Maine with 4 counts of harm to spiritual property involving hearth and one depend of use of fireplace to commit a federal felony. Vulchev is at present in state custody and can make an preliminary look in federal courtroom in Springfield.

“In accordance with courtroom paperwork, an deliberately set hearth induced intensive harm to the church within the early morning hours of Dec. 28, 2023. In courtroom paperwork, the federal government alleges that Vulchev set the Dec. 28 hearth. The federal government additionally alleges that Vulchev can also be answerable for a number of different fires set on church property and for a sequence of tires slashings on church property and within the surrounding space,” the press launch mentioned.

The extra fires alleged within the criticism embody a hearth on the backdoor of the church on Dec. 13, 2023, plus two extra fires close to the rear door of the church on Dec. 15, 2023. Additionally, the overview of safety video and placement information from Vulchev’s cell phone was accessed. It reportedly confirmed that Vulchev was at or close to the scene of most of the alleged crimes, together with the Dec. 28, 2023 hearth that severely broken the church.

In accordance with charging paperwork referenced by Maine’s Division of Justice, Vulchev’s hatred of Black individuals, included current messages from Vulchev in December 2023 calling to “get rid of all N****s.”

Moreover, Information Heart Maine acknowledged that the FBI mentioned Vulchev’s girlfriend was interviewed. She allegedly mentioned Vulchev “incessantly displayed racial animus in the direction of non-whites and Muslims. In accordance with her, Vulchev used the epithet “N-word” to explain Black individuals.” The FBI reportedly reviewed Skype messages Vulchev’s girlfriend saved. A pc containing racist statements was additionally seized from Vulchev’s automobile.

Information Heart Maine additionally reported that Vulchev is initially from Bulgaria and has a prolonged legal historical past.

“In 2015, he plead responsible to threatening to kill the Bulgarian president,” Information Heart Maine mentioned.

So far as the standing of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Group Presbyterian Church, church, WWLP (22News) mentioned that providers are being held over Zoom, though a seek for out of doors house to worship is underway. Within the interview, Rev. Dr. Terrlyn Curry remarked that she hopes the group will proceed to stay in hope and love. She reportedly doesn’t concentrate on the hate, reasonably the love.