Federal charges filed in Grand Forks Somali restaurant fire

Sunday, January 17, 2016

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Federal prosecutors in North Dakota have filed charges against a man accused of torching a Somali restaurant in Grand Forks.

A criminal complaint charges 25-year-old Matthew Gust, of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, with malicious use of an explosive device and use of a destructive device during a crime of violence.

Authorities have accused Gust of throwing a 40-ounce beer bottle filled with gasoline through a window at Juba Coffee House on Dec. 8, starting a fire that caused an estimated $90,000 in damage.

State prosecutors charged Gust with felony arson days after the incident. After Gust's initial appearance in state court, defense attorney Theodore Sandberg told The Associated Press that Gust maintains his innocence in the fire.

Gust is scheduled to appear in federal court Tuesday.

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