U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jason Mattis, 49, was arrested and charged with three counts of possession of an unregistered destructive device, charges that stem from three incidents that occurred in June and July in Tacony. Mattis made his initial appearance in federal court on Dec. 15 and was ordered detained pending further proceedings.
The indictment alleges that on two separate occasions on June 30 and again on July 1, Mattis lit an incendiary device commonly known as a Molotov cocktail, and threw it onto the porch of three different residences. On all three occasions, the weapon thrown by Mattis ignited and started a fire on the porch of each residence. Two of these incidents occurred in the middle of the night on June 30, and the last occurred during the evening hours on July 1. ATF examined evidence left at each scene and determined that the weapons allegedly used by the defendant were incendiary bombs as that term is defined under federal law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
If convicted, Mattis faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison, a three-year period of supervised release, a $750,000 fine and a $300 special assessment.
The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Eckert.
