NYPD vehicle arson guilty plea

A locked New York Police Department lot in Bushwick went up in flames on June 12, 2025, and the person who did it has now admitted it in federal court. Prosecutors say 22-year-old Jakhi McCray pleaded guilty on April 8, 2026, to setting fire to 10 police vehicles and one trailer. (justice.gov) The fire hit vehicles parked near the 83rd Precinct stationhouse in Brooklyn, and prosecutors said every vehicle was unoccupied when the blaze started. The New York Police Department put the damage at more than $800,000. (justice.gov) Federal prosecutors described a very physical break-in, not a fire set from the street. They said McCray climbed a fence into the lot, poured gasoline onto the vehicles, lit them, and escaped through a hole in the fence. (justice.gov) The case landed in federal court because the charge was arson under federal law, which carries a mandatory minimum prison term. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York said McCray now faces at least 5 years and as much as 20 years when he is sentenced. (justice.gov) A guilty plea does not end the case with a handshake and a walkout. McCray also agreed to pay restitution of $800,000, which is the government’s way of asking the court to order repayment for the property damage tied to the fire. (justice.gov) The government says the evidence trail was unusually direct. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said surveillance video, fingerprints, and cellphone location data helped investigators identify McCray after the arson. (apnews.com) The name kept surfacing in New York protest coverage long before this plea. Associated Press reported that McCray had previously been arrested at pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which is why some outlets described him as an activist as well as a defendant in an arson case. (apnews.com) That background showed up again outside the courthouse. NBC New York reported that supporters gathered for the April 8, 2026 hearing, while prosecutors stuck to a narrower point: 11 burned department vehicles meant fewer police cars available for patrol and a large repair bill for the city. (nbcnewyork.com) The plea also fixed the basic count of what was destroyed. Some early headlines said 10 vehicles, but the federal court record and the United States Attorney’s statement both say 10 New York Police Department vehicles plus 1 trailer, for a total of 11 pieces of police property. (justice.gov) So the case now sits in its final phase. The fire happened on June 12, 2025, the guilty plea came on April 8, 2026, and the remaining question is how much prison time and restitution the sentencing judge will ultimately impose within that 5-to-20-year federal range. (justice.gov)