Man Gets 70 Months in Prison for Arson at Minnesota Mosques

Minneapolis, MN (MinnesotaNow) - A Minnesota man has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for arson fires targeting two mosques in the Twin Cities.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota, 38-year-old Jackie Rahm Little was handed a 70-month prison sentence on Friday. He previously entered guilty pleas to federal charges of arson and damage to religious property.

U.S. Attorney Condemns Religious Property Crimes

“In the United States, the desecration of places of worship will not be tolerated,” said Daniel N. Rosen. “All Minnesotans should feel safe freely exercising their religion. Little attempted to burn down two mosques. He will now sit in federal prison for his heinous crime.”

Federal prosecutors say Little set fires at the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque and the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in the Twin Cities. The fires occurred one day apart in late April 2023.

READ MORE: Minnesota Man Admits Setting Fires at Twin Cities Mosques

Details of the April 2023 Incidents

According to the charges in the case, the Plymouth man went to the Bloomington mosque on April 24, 2023 and used gasoline or another flammable liquid to start a fire in the third-floor hallway and stairwell. The place of worship was occupied at the time, and those evacuated included children attending a daycare center in the building. The damage was estimated at more than $375,000.

Interrupted by Mosque Employee

The previous day, Little ignited a fire in the bathroom of the mosque in Minneapolis. Charges say he started a cardboard box on fire with the intent for it to spread to the rest of the building. In that case, an employee interrupted Little, who left behind the partially burned cardboard and a gas canister as he fled.