Logan David Patterson, 18, and Dominick Frank Cardoza, 21, entered guilty pleas in a Boston federal court on April 24, 2026, for their roles in an explosion at Harvard Medical School last year. The two Massachusetts men each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to damage a building by means of fire and an explosive. The charges followed a November 1, 2025, incident in which the pair detonated a commercial-grade firework inside a research laboratory.
U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley presided over the hearing, where the defendants admitted to the facts of the case. According to court documents and statements from U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, the incident occurred at approximately 2:45 a.m. in the Goldenson Building, located at 220 Longwood Avenue. The building houses laboratories for the Harvard Medical School Department of Neurobiology.
Surveillance footage captured Patterson, of Plymouth, and Cardoza, of Bourne, wearing masks and dark clothing as they approached the campus. Investigators determined the men climbed a chain-link fence and used construction scaffolding to access the roof of the Goldenson Building. Once inside, they placed a commercial firework, described as a Roman candle, inside a wooden locker on the fourth floor and ignited it. The resulting explosion triggered fire alarms and caused property damage, though Harvard officials confirmed that no injuries occurred.
Following the blast, the defendants were seen on security cameras exiting through a first-floor emergency door and discarding their outer clothing. They subsequently returned to the nearby Wentworth Institute of Technology, where they had been attending Halloween social activities. Federal authorities arrested the pair three days later after four witnesses reported that the men had shown them a video of the explosion and described their actions to fellow students.
During the proceedings, defense attorneys Kevin Reddington and Stefan Rozembersky characterized the event as an act of youthful mischief rather than a targeted attack on the institution. Reddington argued that the incident was not an attempt to subvert the government or target specific research. However, federal prosecutors emphasized the seriousness of detonating explosives within a facility that receives significant federal funding for scientific research.
Under federal law, the charge of conspiracy to damage a building by fire or explosive carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. In the plea agreement filed with the court, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recommended a sentence of three years of supervised release and full restitution to Harvard University, notably omitting a request for prison time. Judge Kelley has scheduled the formal sentencing for August 4, 2026.
The case has highlighted security vulnerabilities at the Longwood Medical Area, a dense hub of clinical and biological research. Harvard Medical School, as a recipient of federal financial assistance, falls under specific federal protections regarding the destruction of property used in interstate commerce.