A Louisiana man pleaded guilty in federal court to arson charges in connection with the malicious burning of St. John’s Church in Caldwell Parish in the early morning hours of March 27, 2026.
Anthony Dillon Jr., 19, of Colombia, faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Dillon and an accomplice entered St. John’s Church with the intention of stealing electronic equipment, including multiple televisions.
After stealing several televisions from the church, the pair used accelerants inside wooden filing cabinets to start a fire in the administrative area of the building. An accelerant canine unit sounded the alarm at the site of the fire, and forensic tests confirmed the presence of an accelerant. The fire caused severe damage to the church’s sanctuary.
Zachary A. Keller, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal, the Caldwell Parish Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller prosecuted the case, with assistance from Special Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Charlotte Farshian and Paralegal Specialist Joanne Henry-Mills.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana
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