A Milwaukee man has been charged with federal arson following an incident at the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) downtown campus. According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 40-year-old Jarriel Cotton is accused of setting fire to a chair inside the MATC building at 700 W. State Street on Tuesday.
Authorities allege that Cotton intentionally set fire to an upholstered chair on the third floor. The act was captured on surveillance video. He was arrested and made his initial court appearance yesterday. His next court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday next week, and he remains in federal custody.
Cotton has a prior arson conviction from 2015 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. If convicted of the current federal charge, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, up to a maximum of life, along with a possible fine of up to $250,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick. The Milwaukee Police Department conducted the investigation, and federal authorities are handling the prosecution. Cotton is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
