Houlton man charged with federal hate crime in church arson
Dushko Valchev, 44, has been charged in connection with a fire that destroyed a predominately Black church in Springfield, Mass. Author: Julie Sherburne (NEWS CENTER Maine), Gabrielle Mannino (NEWS CENTER Maine) Published: 12:43 PM EDT April 15, 2021 Updated: 4:49 PM EDT April 15, 2021
The Houlton man was charged with four counts of damage to religious property involving fire and one count of use of fire to commit a federal felony.
Vulchev is in state custody and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Springfield, Mass. at a later date.
According to court documents, an intentionally set fire caused extensive damage to the church, which has a primarily Black congregation, in the early morning of Dec. 28, 2020.