A Rhode Island man who intentionally set multiple fires around the exterior of a predominantly black church in North Providence, RI, in February 2024, and while detained at a federal detention centre following his arrest, assaulted two federal correctional officers, has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison.
Kevin Colantonio, 36, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to malicious damage by means of fire, obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, and two counts of assault on a federal officer.
He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 78 months of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release.
Colantonio previously admitted to a federal judge that on February 11, 2024, he used gasoline and a lighter he purchased minutes earlier at a gas station within walking distance of Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries, a predominantly black church with both an in-person and online following, to ignite five fires around the exterior of the church.
The fires were quickly extinguished by North Providence officers who arrived at the church moments after the fires were lit, but not before the church sustained some damage.
Due to the damage, church congregants were prevented from exercising their religious beliefs freely, as church services were cancelled until the church could be reopened.
Several hours prior to the fires being discovered, the pastor of Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries reported to police that he witnessed an individual on the church’s Ring camera doorbell attempting to break into the church.
The pastor spoke to the male subject through the Ring camera, telling him, among other things, that the building was a church.
The man continued trying to break in the door, and then broke the Ring camera off the side of the building. The pastor later identified Colantonio as the person he saw on the Ring camera.
The day after lighting the fires, Colantonio privately messaged a family member that no one in the community cared about the arson. Colantonio called the church “Athiest God mockers,” adding, “They’re busy dancing around collecting money.”
During a court-authorised search of Colantonio’s residence on February 15, 2024, an accelerant detection canine indicated a positive reaction to several items of seized clothing.
These items matched the clothing Colantonio was wearing on the night of the arson, based on surveillance footage.
Also seized were notebooks with writings such as “Eliminate Rich Snob global Elite Pastors, burn churches down to the ground, when congregants move to next church, do the same….”
In a separate entry, Colantonio wrote, “hunt them down gun everyone down that isn’t white, if one is white spread the gospel. Always give our bloodline a chance.”
In addition to admitting to setting the fires, Colantonio admitted to assaulting two federal correctional officers while he was detained at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility following his arrest.
Colantonio admitted that he struck two federal officers with human bodily waste and fluid that were contained inside a mug he tossed at the officers.
