U.S. prosecutors said Soghomonian entered the building on Friday morning and went directly to the third floor, where Sanders’ Vermont office is located. Security video showed Soghomonian spraying the area near the office door and lighting up the area with his handheld lighter.
Burlington police said a “significant” fire broke out, igniting a door and preventing multiple employees from escaping.
The fire damaged door exteriors and hallways and activated the building’s sprinklers. The police department said the sprinkler system had “mostly extinguished the fire.” Sanders was not in his office at the time, according to the police department.
Soghomonian, who previously lived in the Northridge, California, area, could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement that an attorney representing him “has not yet been identified.”
Multiple agencies investigated Friday’s incident, including Burlington Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Vermont State Police and the U.S. Capitol Police, according to the statement.
Sanders’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.
