An East Longmeadow man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in connection with an attempted arson at a Longmeadow senior healthcare facility in April 2020. John Michael Rathbun, 36, was indicted on one count of attempting to transport or receive explosive devices in interstate or foreign commerce with the knowledge or intent that the device will be used to kill, injure, or intimidate any individual or unlawfully to damage or destroy any building, vehicle and one count of attempting to maliciously damage or destroy, by means of fire or an explosive, any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property used in interstate or foreign commerce. On April 15, 2020, Rathbun was arrested and charged by criminal complaint; he has been detained in federal custody since April 17, 2020. According to the indictment, on the morning of April 2, 2020, police discovered a homemade incendiary device next to the driveway entrance — and within feet of a widely used pedestrian walkway — to Jewish Geriatric Services Lifecare, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Longmeadow, Mass. whose mission is to provide health, education, and social services guided by Jewish traditions and values. The device consisted of a 5-gallon Scepter fuel canister, approximately one-third filled with gasoline, and a partially charred Christian religious pamphlet placed in the nozzle of the canister.
