Federal prosecutors say a Flint man is behind a predawn blaze that tore through St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church, forcing the Dupont Street congregation out of its sanctuary for roughly two months and sending members scrambling to repair the damage. A criminal complaint filed in federal court alleges that surveillance video and cellphone records place the suspect at the church around the time of the fire, which investigators say was set in the early hours of Aug. 30, 2025.
Prosecutors have identified the suspect as Billy Chambers. According to the complaint, surveillance footage shows a man walking up to St. Mark, striking a window, then coming back with a red gas can wrapped in a black trash bag. Investigators say the video captures him pouring liquid into the opening and using an ignition device to start the fire at about 2:15 a.m., with time stamps and a step-by-step description laid out in the filing in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, as reported by ClickOnDetroit.
ATF Special Agent Gregory Lotoczky wrote in the complaint that “the suspect made multiple trips” between the spot where the fire started and a field east of the church. The filing also cites cellphone pings that place a device near St. Mark shortly after the blaze. ATF agents executed a federal search warrant in June and seized clothing and shoes that the complaint says match what the suspect was wearing that night. Chambers has told investigators he has never been to St. Mark, according to the same filing, as detailed by ClickOnDetroit.
Charges and legal consequences
The complaint says Chambers is charged with intentionally obstructing people in the free exercise of their religious beliefs by the use of fire, malicious destruction of a building by means of fire or an explosive, and arson in the commission of a federal felony. Federal law covers those offenses under 18 U.S.C. §247 and the federal arson provisions at 18 U.S.C. §844, which allow for prison terms that increase when fire or explosives are used or when injuries occur. Under those statutes, sentences can range from several years to decades in more serious cases. See 18 U.S.C. §247 and 18 U.S.C. §844.
Investigation and local context
Federal authorities took over the case after local investigations that relied on surveillance footage and cell-site data, reflecting how fires at houses of worship can quickly draw federal interest when they appear to be deliberately set. Flint has seen a jump in suspicious fires and arson in recent years, complicating efforts to protect community institutions and turning up the pressure on investigators to secure solid evidence. A June 2024 investigation highlighted rising arson numbers and the difficulty of prosecuting such cases in neighborhoods marked by widespread blight. See coverage of Flint’s arson trend at Firehouse.
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the case remains in federal proceedings; prosecutors have not yet publicly released a court date. The charges are allegations, and Chambers is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
