• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Christian News Now

Christian News Now

News for the Thinking Christian

  • Home
  • U.S.
  • World
  • Church
  • Faith
  • Tech & Science
  • Family
  • Entertainment
  • Sports

Maine Man Indicted in Burning of Black Church

February 11, 2022 by Staff

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A Maine man charged with setting fire to a Massachusetts church with a predominantly Black congregation was driven by racial animus, according to court documents.

Dushko Vulchev, 45, of Houlton, Maine, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday on four counts of damaging religious property “because of the race, color, and ethnic characteristics” of those associated with the church, and one count of using fire to commit a federal felony.

An email seeking comment was left with his federal public defender.

Authorities allege in the early morning hours he set a Dec. 28, 2020 blaze at the Martin Luther King Jr. Presbyterian Church in Springfield that caused extensive damage. Authorities say he set had previously set several smaller fires at the church.

Investigators who examined his electronic devices “identified numerous examples of communications that demonstrated racial animus towards Black people,” according to court documents.

It is about 360 miles (580 kilometers) from Houlton to Springfield.

Vulchev, a naturalized citizen from Bulgaria, was charged in 2016 with kidnapping and domestic assault in Maine. The kidnapping charge was dismissed but he was sentenced to 258 days in jail for assault and other charges. He also pleaded guilty in federal court to threatening Bulgarian officials.

This article originally appeared here.

Filed Under: Church

Primary Sidebar

Trending News

‘I Barely Touched the Lady’—James MacDonald Addresses Assault Charges in Recent Interview

‘I’ve Made America Great’—Trump Responds to Question About His Faith Journey

Civil Lawsuit Over Girl’s Death Names the Rock Church as a Defendant

‘It Will Be the Biggest Film in History’—Jim Caviezel Says ‘The Passion of the Christ’ Sequel Could Be 2 Movies

RSS ChurchLeaders

  • Preliminary Report: Liberty University Allegedly Underreported Crime Complaints, Silenced Victims
  • Andy Stanley’s Unconditional Conference ‘Gets it Wrong,’ Argue Sean McDowell and Alan Shlemon

RSS Faithit

  • NFL Star Derek Carr Interrupts Church & Says Someone’s About to Take Their Life—Then He Hears “That Was Me”
  • I Had A Miscarriage & Yes, I Flushed

RSS ForEveryMom

  • Billy Graham: Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
  • Not Empty Handed: God’s Gifts in My Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Footer

About Us

Privacy Policy

Contact Us

Newsletter

Search

Copyright © 2023 · Christian News Now