Olympia man indicted on federal charges of damaging religious properties
A 50-year-old Olympia man, Mikey Diamond Starrett, was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury for three arsons that damaged or destroyed three Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Halls in 2018, according to the Department of Justice.
Starrett, also known as Michael Jason Layes, was charged with three counts of damage to religious property, including the use of fire, and three counts of using fire to commit a federal felony.
“As DOJ noted this week, we are putting a priority on prosecuting hate crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “We continue to work closely with our faith communities so that they have the most current information on how to protect places of worship.”
The indictment alleges that Layes set fire to the Kingdom Halls because of their religious character.
According to the DOJ, Layes allegedly set fire to the Kingdom Hall of Tumwater and the Kingdom Hall of Olympia on March 19, 2018, and the Kingdom Hall of Olympia again on July 3, 2018.
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison on each charge of damage to religious property. He also faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm charge.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division, the FBI, the Tumwater Police Department, and the Olympia Police Department.
Robert Hendricks, US spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, issued a statement thanking law enforcement on Wednesday:
“We’re thankful for the tireless efforts of law enforcement in helping us begin to put this painful act behind us. We commend them for never giving up on the investigation over the past several years. Persons of faith gathering in houses of worship have the right to feel safe and be safe. This indictment is one more step to ensure that our Kingdom Halls remain that safe spiritual and physical place for our congregants and the community. We are thrilled to see thousands of volunteers from a half dozen states coalescing to rebuild our Olympia Kingdom Hall. Thanks to their self sacrificing labor of love we will again be able to worship there peacefully early next month.”
