COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Pickerington man has pleaded guilty to setting fire to a church in Fairfield County in 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
Benjamin Ruckel, 25, pleaded guilty to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act in U.S. District Court on Wednesday after setting fire to Mount Zion Church in Baltimore, Ohio on Nov. 27, 2021. Violating that act is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Ruckel was charged by a federal bill of information and during his arraignment, he admitted to setting the fire because of the religious character of the church.
“Every resident in the Southern District of Ohio should be free to worship without any criminal acts occurring against them or the place in which they come together to do so,” said Parker. “Combatting these types of unlawful acts is a priority for my office, and together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to vigorously use every criminal enforcement tool at our disposal to address civil rights violations.”
Court documents say that Ruckel broke the windows of the church and spread accelerant before setting the church on fire.
The church was built in 1863 and the fire destroyed the original pews and damaged the Bibles and other books in the sanctuary.
“Religious freedom is a cornerstone of our nation, and the FBI will continue to protect the rights of Americans to worship safely,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers. “As the lead agency for investigating criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes, the FBI works closely with law enforcement, religious organizations, and community groups to reduce civil rights abuses.”
