Feds Charge Two Massachusetts Men In Harvard Medical School Campus Halloween Night Explosion
Thursday, November 6, 2025, 8:30 A.M. ET. 4 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
BOSTON, MA.- On Tuesday, following an investigation, an 18-year-old Plymouth, Massachusetts, man, and a 20-year-old Bourne, Massachusetts, man were taken into custody and federally charged with allegedly conspiring to damage a building on Harvard Medical School Campus using a large commercial-grade firework.
According to U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, Logan David Patterson, 18, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Dominick Frank Cardoza, 20, of Bourne, Massachusetts, were each charged by federal criminal complaint with one count of Conspiracy to Damage by Means of an Explosive, the Goldenson Building at Harvard Medical School.
Both Patterson and Cardoza were taken into custody by Federal Agents early Tuesday morning. They were processed on the charges and made their initial appearance later on Tuesday in Federal Court in Boston, Massachusetts.
According To The Charging Information Filed In The Complaint
According to the charging information filed in the criminal complaint, at around 2:30 a.m., on Saturday, November 1, 2025, surveillance cameras located at Huntington and Longwood Avenues in Boston, Massachusetts, captured two men, later identified as Patterson and Cardoza, walking toward the Harvard Medical School campus wearing face coverings and dark clothing.
At approximately 2:24 a.m., surveillance footage captured Patterson and Cardoza allegedly lighting what appeared to be a Roman candle.
The charging information further alleges that at approximately 2:33 a.m., both Patterson and Cardoza were seen climbing over a chain-link fence into a construction area surrounding the Goldenson Building and, minutes later, climbing scaffolding beside the building to access the roof. At approximately 2:45 a.m., Campus Police received an activation of a fire alarm due to an explosion on the fourth floor of the Goldenson Building, which houses a research laboratory within the Harvard Medical School’s Department of Neurobiology.
It is also alleged that, between 2:45 and 2:50 a.m., security footage captured Patterson and Cardoza visiting the fifth floor of the building before ultimately exiting through a first-floor emergency exit and fleeing in opposite directions.
Investigators determined that the explosive, believed to be a large, commercial-grade firework, was detonated within a wooden locker in the fourth-floor research laboratory. Analysis of the firework remains ongoing.
It is alleged that, beginning at around 2:57 a.m., Cardoza was captured on surveillance video sitting on a bench, removing his pants, and placing them in a trash bin. Beginning at approximately 3:09 a.m., surveillance footage from the nearby campus of Wentworth Institute of Technology captured Patterson running between buildings, attempting to enter a residential building before a passerby let him in, and charging his phone near an attendant’s desk in the building. Shortly thereafter, at approximately 3:23 a.m., Patterson could allegedly be seen talking on his cell phone.
Thereafter, at around 3:40 a.m., surveillance video showed Patterson exiting the building to meet up with Cardoza and a third individual. It is again alleged that at around 3:49 a.m., after unsuccessfully attempting to enter an adjoining residential campus building, the three are seen walking toward the Massachusetts College of Art and Design campus. There, surveillance footage allegedly captured Patterson, Cardoza, and the third person walking along Huntington Avenue.
In the video, Patterson is allegedly removing his sweatshirt and sweatpants and is seen stuffing his sweatpants into his shorts. Cardoza is allegedly seen still wearing a dark hooded jacket and black sneakers with only shorts or boxer shorts. Witnesses reportedly stated to the Police that Patterson and Cardoza were visiting Wentworth College for a Halloween Party.
If convicted on the charges, both Patterson and Cardoza each face up to five years in federal prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. At sentencing, upon a finding of guilt, a U.S. District Court Judge would determine the term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offense and Patterson’s and Cardoza’s prior criminal histories, if any.
“The rules of the federal court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
