PROVIDENCE, RI – A North Providence man has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to setting fires outside a predominantly Black church and assaulting two federal correctional officers while in custody.
Kevin Colantonio, 36, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. after pleading guilty in February to malicious damage by means of fire, obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs, and two counts of assault on a federal officer.
According to court documents, Colantonio set five fires around the exterior of Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries in North Providence on Feb. 11, 2024, using gasoline and a lighter he purchased minutes earlier from a nearby gas station. The fires were extinguished quickly by local police but caused damage to the church.
A search of Colantonio’s home on Feb. 15, 2024, revealed clothing that tested positive for accelerants. Surveillance footage from the area also showed him wearing matching clothing on the night of the fires.
Federal civil rights and assault charges
Colantonio was in custody at a federal detention center following his arrest when he assaulted two federal corrections officers. Details of the assaults were not disclosed, but they formed the basis for two additional federal charges.
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Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in a statement, “This defendant acted with disdain against people of faith and complete disregard for law enforcement officers.”
Colantonio admitted to both the arson and the assaults during court proceedings. His sentencing marks the conclusion of a year-long investigation and prosecution led by federal and local authorities.