Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty To Arson At St. Paul Car Rental Agency

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minneapolis man pleaded guilty to intentionally setting fire to a St. Paul car rental agency during the unrest following George Floyd's death.

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald announced the guilty plea of 32-year-old Matthew White on Friday to one count of arson. White was arrested and charged on June 29, 2020.

According to White's guilty plea, he went inside an Enterprise Rent-A-Car building in St. Paul on May 28, as riots and violence broke out in the city. While inside the building, he and a juvenile accomplice maliciously started a fire inside a back office.

White fueled the fire by throwing papers and other flammable items onto the flames. Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) examined the scene on June 3 and determined that the fire was caused by arson and originated from within the structure.

Authorities considered the car rental agency a total loss due to the fire.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, the FBI, the St. Paul Police Department and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division.