Inland Empire Man Federally Charged with Deliberately Setting Fires that Destroyed Massive Warehouse in Ontario

RIVERSIDE, California - A San Bernardino County man has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with deliberating setting fires that destroyed a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse, causing approximately $500 million in damage, the Justice Department announced today.

Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, of Highland, is charged with arson of a building used in interstate and foreign commerce and used in activities affecting interstate and foreign commerce. The federal complaint was filed late Thursday.

Abdulkarim was arrested on Tuesday and is in local custody in San Bernardino County. He is expected to be arraigned on state criminal charges this morning in San Bernardino County Superior Court.

According to an affidavit filed with the federal criminal complaint, early in the morning on April 7, Abdulkarim filmed himself setting fire to multiple pallets of paper goods inside of a large distribution center in Ontario. As he lit the fires, he stated, "If you're not going to pay us enough to [expletive] live or afford to live, at least pay us enough not to do this [expletive]."

The fires Abdulkarim set quickly consumed the building, resulting in its destruction and causing approximately $500 million in damage.

Abdulkarim posted videos of himself on social media setting the fires. He further made statements to others on the telephone and via text messages related to his motive for setting the building on fire, including the following: "I just cost these [expletive] billions," "1% is a [expletive] joke," and "All you had to do was pay us enough to live. Pay us more of the value WE bring. Not corporate. Didn't see the shareholders picking up a shift."

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office is pursuing a criminal case against him in connection with Tuesday's fire.

A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If convicted, Abdulkarim would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ontario Police Department, and the Ontario Fire Department are investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Alexander S. Gorin of the National Security Division is prosecuting this case.