EAST ST. LOUIS — A Belleville man has entered a guilty plea to setting a fire in a Lebanon gas station bathroom.
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Carlos A. Rodriguez, 33, admitted to one count of arson of real property used in interstate commerce in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis. The fire occurred on the evening of Sept. 10, 2018, at the CC Food Mart in Lebanon, IL. Rodriguez ignited a plastic air freshener mounted in the men’s restroom, then left the store. Approximately seven minutes later, customers and employees discovered smoke and an active fire.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Fire Research Laboratory conducted experiments using a replica of the restroom to confirm the fire’s origin and timing, ruling out other patrons who used the bathroom that evening. The blaze and firefighting efforts caused about $6,000 in damage.
Rodriguez’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2026. Under federal law, arson of real property used in interstate commerce carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and can include up to 20 years, fines up to $250,000, and supervised release for up to three years.
The ATF led the investigation with assistance from the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Lebanon Police Department.
The Lebanon Fire Department responded to the scene. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke is prosecuting the case.
