Two Massachusetts Men Sentenced to Probation for Harvard Medical School Fireworks Explosion
The duo received three years of probation, 300 hours of community service and a $28,517 fine after pleading guilty to damaging the empty Goldenson Building.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Two Massachusetts men were sentenced on Thursday to probation and fines after pleading guilty to setting off a commercial firework inside Harvard Medical School's Goldenson Building.
What happened
Federal officials said 19‑year‑old Logan David Patterson and 21‑year‑old Dominick Frank Cardoza broke into the empty Goldenson Building in Boston before dawn during Halloween‑season celebrations last year and detonated a large commercial firework. No one was injured.
What the reports add
- The incident triggered a massive law‑enforcement response and heightened anxiety across the Harvard campus, according to both the Associated Press and the Independent.
- Both outlets note that the pair entered the building after visiting the Wentworth Institute of Technology for Halloween‑related activities.
- Surveillance footage captured the men wearing face coverings and climbing scaffolding to reach the roof before entering the building.
- According to the charging document cited by the Independent, they lit a Roman candle outside the structure and placed a cherry bomb inside a locker, where it exploded.
- Prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum that the defendants “trespassed on a university building in the middle of the night… exploded a firework that caused significant property damage and public alarm.”
- The defendants faced a potential maximum sentence of five years but received three years of probation, 300 hours of community service and a joint fine of $28,517.
What was said
“I believe the harsh consequences that flowed from this conviction are a sufficient deterrent,” U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley said, denying a government request for six months of home confinement.
Patterson apologized in court, saying, “This was a very serious act. At the time, I thought my actions were harmless and they turned out to be much bigger.”
Stefan Rozembersky, attorney for Cardoza, told reporters, “This was not a terrorist attack… it was a couple of kids with firecrackers, not even bombs,” adding that the mischief “went way out of control.” He also warned, “It’s not without severity. Having this felony record is going keep them from having some things in life and harm them for a long time.”
How it came about
The two were in the Boston area for college Halloween parties when they chose the apparently abandoned Goldenson Building, broke in via the roof, and set off the firework before dawn. Their guilty plea in April led to the October 1, 2026 sentencing, which also requires them to write a letter of apology to Harvard. Both men have no prior criminal record; Patterson works for a general contractor and Cardoza is employed in landscaping.
Key facts
- Logan David Patterson (19) and Dominick Frank Cardoza (21) pleaded guilty to conspiring to damage Harvard Medical School's Goldenson Building with a commercial firework. (independent.co.uk)
- Both were sentenced on Oct. 1, 2026 to three years of probation, 300 hours of community service and a $28,517 fine. (independent.co.uk)
- U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley denied a request for six months of home confinement, calling the consequences a sufficient deterrent. (independent.co.uk)
- No injuries occurred during the explosion. (independent.co.uk)
Timeline
- 2025-10-31 — Patterson and Cardoza break into Harvard Medical School's Goldenson Building and set off a firework.
- 2026-04-15 — Both men plead guilty to conspiring to damage a building using a large commercial firework.
- 2026-10-01 — Sentencing: three years probation, 300 hours community service, $28,517 fine, apology letter.
