Man Who Set Drug Store On Fire During Riots Pleads Guilty
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The man facing charges after he set a Baltimore CVS on fire during the riots has pleaded guilty on Wednesday morning, to the federal crime of rioting, including the CVS arson located on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The pharmacy, looted before it was torched, once stood at the heart of the riots following week-long demonstrations over Freddie Gray's death, a 25-year-old who died from injuries while in police custody.
On July 1, 2015, Raymon Carter, 24, was arrested and charged with his involvement in the arson.
Today, The United States Attorney for the District of Maryland announced that Carter has pleaded guilty
WJZ's Meghan McCorkell has the latest.
Looters broke through the main doors of the CVS and began removing merchandise and pharmaceuticals. Surveillance video shows Carter entering the CVS and using an open flame to illuminate the pharmaceuticals on the shelves. Security footage also shows Carter unsuccessfully attempting open the store's safe.
"The most important aspects of this case are that Raymon Carter will be punished for participating in the riot and that ordinary citizens concerned about their neighborhood helped to catch him," said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. "Federal law prohibits people from traveling across a state line or using a telephone to participate in a civil disturbance that involves acts of violence, and this case sends a message that we intend to use it."
SEE RELATED: Baltimore Man Indicted In CVS Arson During Riots
"Anyone who considers participating in a riot should know that police, prosecutors and citizens will track them down and send them to prison," said Rosenstein.
Prosecutors hope his guilty plea sends a message to others who wreak havoc in the city.
According to Carter's plea agreement, Carter will face four years behind bars if the judge accepts the agreement.
The total loss for the building alone as a result of the fire is estimated at $1.1 million.