Maryland man sentenced after burning "Trump" and "USA" into street with flamethrower
A Maryland man was sentenced to one year of supervised probation and 60 hours of community service for burning a neighborhood street with a flamethrower in 2024.
Prosecutors said Craig McQuin posted a video of himself using the flamethrower to burn the words "Trump" and "USA" into the ground.
McQuin pleaded guilty on Monday to second-degree malicious burning, which is a misdemeanor.
On Nov. 15, 2024, arson investigators responded to Hickory Hollow Drive in Glen Burnie to assist Anne Arundel County Police with a report of property destruction.
When they arrived, they saw the words "TRUMP" and "USA" burned into the middle of a public road maintained by the Creekside Village Homeowner Association, officials said.
After an investigation, police found a TikTok video showing a man later identified as McQuin using the flamethrower to ignite the two words, which had been spelled out on the asphalt with a flammable liquid.
McQuin was charged with second-degree malicious burning, destruction of property, and possession of a destructive device. He was also ordered to forfeit his flamethrower.
"Though his actions were reckless and damaged community property, I appreciate that the defendant has accepted full responsibility for what he did. In addition to forfeiting the flamethrower, he has paid $5,500 restitution and must complete an additional sixty hours of community service as part of his sentence," Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said in a statement.
Vandalism in Anne Arundel County
There have been multiple instances of vandalism in Anne Arundel County this year.
In February, a storage shed containing youth athletic equipment was broken into and vandalized at Bell Branch Park.
The damage amounted to an estimated $10,000, according to the Crofton Athletic Council.
The vandals left spray-painted profanity on the doors, ruining children's uniforms.
In April, a Texas man was ordered to complete community service after being found guilty of destroying a pride flag hanging outside an Annapolis store.
Benjamin Michael was convicted of hate crime charges, malicious destruction of property, and theft after he was caught on security camera footage removing a rainbow pride flag from the Dapper Dog Tattoo Shop on Maryland Avenue and disposing of it in a trash can.
Also in April, a memorial in Anne Arundel County honoring former slave Jason Asbury Pack was mysteriously destroyed.
The Pack family is one among a handful of Black families who played a role in developing Severna Park.
