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A homeless man has been charged in the fire that destroyed a Duluth synagogue last week.

Matthew James Amiot, 36, has been charged with one felony count and one gross misdemeanor count of setting a negligent fire.

The criminal complaint alleges that Amiot was seen walking behind the Adas Israel Congregation synagogue, which sat on the hillside just a few blocks northeast of downtown Duluth, shortly after 2 a.m. on Sept. 9.

Prosecutors say Amiot admitted to using a lighter to ignite “combustible materials” in a separate religious structure called a sukkah that abutted the back of the synagogue and a created a small outdoor alcove space.

According to the complaint, Amiot told investigators “he tried to spit on the fire to put it out, and when it would not go out, he walked away.”

At 2:15 a.m., the complaint says Amiot was seen “walking away from the synagogue and looking back at the flickering flames.” By the time police and firefighters arrived seven minutes later, three-foot-tall flames were already coming from the area around the sukkah, the complaint alleges.

On Sunday, Duluth fire and police officials said there was no evidence of a hate or bias crime. "That may change,” Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken said, “but at this point in time, that is the determination I have."

The charges filed Monday include one felony count of negligent fires, for causing a fire to burn or get out of control and destroying property valued at more than $2,500.

The second gross misdemeanor charge is for negligently causing a fire that got out of control and caused injury.

According to the complaint, the synagogue began to collapse about an hour and a half after firefighters arrived, causing “a near miss” for many on the scene.

Captain Ben Gasner, a 19-year veteran of the Duluth Fire Department, was hit by falling debris and knocked unconscious while battling the blaze in a balcony inside the synagogue. He was taken to a hospital and treated for a concussion.

While official numbers have not yet been announced, the complaint says the value of the synagogue is at least $117,000, which it states comes from St. Louis County records.

Firefighters were able to rescue eight of the congregation’s 14 torahs from the basement of the burning building, but the complaint alleges that religious antiquities lost in the blaze were valued at $250,000 or more.

Amiot’s been convicted of several theft and trespassing charges in the past five years. His address was listed in the complaint as the Churches United in Ministry homeless shelter in Duluth.

Deb Holman, a street outreach worker at the Churches United in Ministry, said Amiot has not been a resident at the shelter in the recent past. She said he likely uses the address for mail.

“We have never had a problem with Matt,” Holman said.

Amiot’s next court appearance is set for Oct. 8.

Crime, Law and Justice

Dan Kraker

Author

Thirty-six-year-old Matthew Amiot was charged Monday with two counts of negligent fires. A judge set his bail at $20,000.

Firefighters work the scene of an overnight fire 

Suspect charged in fire that destroyed Duluth synagogue

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