A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty to the May 2022 firebombing of a Madison office building.
According to court documents, Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, 29, of Madison, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive. On Sunday, May 8, 2022, at approximately 6:06 a.m., law enforcement responded to an active fire at an office building located in Madison. Upon entering the building, police found a broken mason jar under a shattered window; the jar’s lid and screw top were burned black. Nearby, a purple disposable lighter was discovered. On the opposite wall from the window, police noticed another mason jar, this one intact, with a blue cloth inserted into its top and singed. This jar contained a clear fluid, emitting an odor indicative of an accelerant. On the building’s exterior, graffiti included the phrase “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either,” alongside a large “A” encircled by a circle and the number “1312.” Investigators collected DNA evidence from the scene.
In March 2023, law enforcement identified Roychowdhury as a suspect. Local police observed him discarding food in a public trash can, from which they retrieved the leftovers for DNA analysis. A forensic biologist compared the DNA from the food to that found at the crime scene, confirming a match.
Roychowdhury then traveled from Madison to Portland, Maine. He purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City, set to depart on March 28. Law enforcement arrested him at Boston Logan International Airport that day.
Roychowdhury faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 14, 2024. The sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Capitol Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI Boston Field Office, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Air Marshal Service, and Transportation Security Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck for the District of Massachusetts handled the defendant’s Boston appearance following his arrest.
