Lawyer implicated in police arson sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison

A lawyer who bought gasoline that another lawyer used to blow up an unoccupied New York City police car during protests over the death of George Floyd in 2020 was sentenced on Thursday to a year and a day in jail.

Colinford Mattis, who appeared in federal court, was also ordered to pay just over $30,000 to the New York City Police Department for the destroyed vehicle.

A lawyer for Mattis declined to comment.

Mattis is expected to begin serving his sentence in March.

Mattis and Urooj Rahman were arrested on May 30, 2020, as demonstrations and protests raged over the police killing of Floyd in Minneapolis.

According to the videotapes, Rahman threw an incendiary device at a parked police car, setting its console on fire and causing serious damage.

Mattis was driving the van they were in when police arrested them, and authorities said they found a lighter, a bottle of Bud Light beer filled with toilet paper, and a gas tank in the back.

They said Mattis bought the gas.

The two lawyers were initially charged with much more stringent charges and possible years in prison, but prosecutors reduced the charges and they pleaded guilty to conspiracy.

Federal authorities demanded that Mattis be sentenced to 18 to 24 months in prison. Both Mattis and Rahman were disbarred.

Rahman was sentenced in November to 15 months in prison.

The Western Journal reviewed this Associated Press article and may have revised it prior to publication to meet our editorial standards.