Rochester Man Sentenced 10 Years For Arson Of Minneapolis Pawn Shop
ST.PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- A federal judge sentenced a Rochester man to 10 years in prison for his role in burning down a Minneapolis pawn shop during the unrest following George Floyd's murder.
The U.S. Attorney's Office District of Minnesota said 26-year-old Montez Terri Lee was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on May. 28, 2020, Lee, along with others, broke into the Max It Pawn Shop on East Lake Street in Minneapolis. Surveillance video showed Lee pouring gas around the pawnshop and lighting it on fire, according to the release. The fire destroyed the building.
Another video showed Lee standing in front of the burning pawnshop. He could be heard saying, "[expletive] this place. We're gonna burn this [expletive] down."
Authorities say they found the body of a 30-year-old man in the rubble of the building.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office attributed the man's death to "probable inhalation of products of combustion and thermal injury (building fire)."