Attorneys Split on Sentencing Recommendation As Men Charged in HMS Explosion Await Hearing

The men charged with causing an explosion in a Harvard Medical School building last year are set to be sentenced on Thursday — and their attorneys have split on what consequences the two should face.

19-year-old Logan D. Patterson and 21-year-old Dominick F. Cardoza pleaded guilty in April to one count of conspiring to damage a building by means of fire and an explosive after allegedly lighting a firework in the Goldenson building at HMS in November.

The two allegedly entered the fourth floor of the Goldenson Building at approximately 2:45 a.m. on Nov. 1. Patterson set off a large commercial firework in a wooden filing cabinet while Cardoza filmed, and the two then quickly fled the building, according to court documents. The incident drew a response from federal and local law enforcement, and the men were arrested three days later.

The charge carries a $250,000 fine and a maximum sentence of five years in prison — but both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and attorneys for both men have suggested the two should avoid jail time.

Prosecutors proposed three years of probation, including six months of house arrest, and a joint payment of more than $28,500 to the University. Their recommendation falls short of the maximum sentence due to a lack of premeditation and the defendants’ backgrounds, according to the prosecution’s sentencing recommendation.

In the recommendations, Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley wrote that the “nature and circumstances of the offense and the defendant’s personal history and characteristics do not merit a sentence of incarceration,” but that the incident “justifies some meaningful deprivation of the defendant’s liberty.”

But Cardoza and Patterson’s attorneys have separately objected to some of the recommendations.

In a filing last week, Patterson’s attorney, Kevin J. Reddington, argued that his client should be required to pay a fine, but agreed to prosecutors’ recommendation for probation with a period of home confinement.

Reddington emphasized Patterson’s “young age,” arguing that his client is trying to “develop his skills as a carpenter,” and urging the court to not impose a fine.

Alongside Patterson’s sentencing recommendation, Reddington attached nine letters of recommendation for the court to review, which speak to Patterson’s character. The letters range from Patterson’s parents and family to long-term friends and neighbors, including acting chief of the Cambridge Fire Department Thomas F. Cahill.

The letters further Reddington’s argument that Patterson has solid familial support and a “strong work ethic,” underscoring that his client is young and displayed “youthful, impaired decision making” resulting in the incident.

Stefan J. Rozembersky, Cardoza’s attorney, asked the court for the inverse — agreeing to the fine and proposed probation period, but arguing his client should avoid home confinement. Without confinement, Cardoza would be “in a better position to repay restitution and continue to contribute constructively to his community,” Rozembersky argued.

The pair were originally set to be sentenced on Aug. 4, but Reddington asked the court to delay the hearing in July because he was representing Lindsay Clancy — the mother from Duxbury, Mass. accused of killing her three children in January 2023. The proceedings ended in a mistrial earlier this month after the jury was deadlocked.

Now, sentencing for both men is set to take place on Thursday.

—Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at shawnb.18. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.

—Staff writer Claire A. Michal can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at ClaireMichal.154.