Man sentenced to 7 years for arson to congressman’s Fond du Lac office over TikTok ban

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WBAY) - The man guilty of trying to burn down Representative Glenn Grothman’s office because of a potential TikTok ban in the U.S. was sentenced Thursday in Fond du Lac County court.

Caiden Stachowicz was sentenced to seven years in prison, which will be followed by seven years of extended supervision.

Stachowicz, 20, pleaded no contest after prosecutors said he poured gasoline on a strip mall housing Grothman’s office in Fond du Lac and lit a fire.

During an interview with police, he admitted that he started the fire because he didn’t like Grothman voting “yes” on a federal ban on TikTok. The story attracted national attention.

While Stachowicz was in the county jail awaiting his sentencing, a deal for TikTok ended up coming together to keep the social media app available in the United States.

The court also ordered Stachowicz to not contact the offices of politicians, including Congressman Grothman. Stachowicz is also ordered to pay about $15,000 in restitution, which was the cost of the fire’s damage.

Stachowicz is also ordered to undergo mental health treatment.

According to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office, the state recommended a sentence of 12-15 years of initial confinement and 15 years of extended supervision. The maximum possible sentence was 25 years of initial confinement and 15 years of extended supervision.

“Political violence isn’t a Republican or Democrat issue, it’s an American issue. It must be taken seriously to protect our Democratic Republic and ensure that the best of America are willing to step up and serve their communities and our country. We hope this sentence acts as a deterrent to others and lets those that serve us know they will be protected,” Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney said in a statement.

This case was investigated by the City of Fond du Lac Police Department, with assistance from the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by District Attorney Eric Toney.