Man Charged With Federal Hate Crime After Burning Down Church: DOJ

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO — A Missouri man is accused of burning down a church and has been charged with a federal hate crime, according to authorities.

Christopher Scott Pritchard, 46, destroyed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cape Girardeau, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. He is charged with intentionally obstructing parishioners of free exercise of religious beliefs and using fire to commit a federal felony, the news release said.

Pritchard faces as many as 20 years in prison for the obstruction charge, a mandatory minimum of 10 years on the fire charge, and up to $250,000 in fines for each charge, according to the news release.