Plymouth Teenager Avoids Prison, Sentenced to Probation for Harvard Medical School Firework Blast
A federal judge ordered 19-year-old Logan Patterson to pay over $28,000 in restitution following a Halloween incident that damaged campus facilities.
BOSTON — A Plymouth teenager who set off a commercial firework inside a Harvard Medical School building on Halloween night was sentenced in federal court to three years of probation and ordered to pay nearly $28,500 in damages.
Logan Patterson, 19, of Plymouth along with co-defendant Dominick Cardoza, 21, of Bourne, avoided prison time after each pleading guilty to a single federal count of conspiracy to damage a building by means of fire and an explosive.
The incident occurred inside the Goldenson Building on Harvard Medical School’s Boston campus, which houses research laboratories for the university’s department of neurobiology. According to court records, Patterson and Cardoza placed a large firework—described by Patterson as a “cherry bomb”—inside a hallway locker and ignited it before fleeing. Cardoza videotaped the act. The resulting detonation blew the door off the locker and showered debris down the hall. No injuries were reported.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Holcomb advocated for six months of home confinement to initiate Patterson’s probation, emphasizing the gravity of detonating explosives in an educational setting. “The defendant committed a serious offense, even if that offense was motivated by immaturity and revelry rather than more serious intentions to cause damage or fear,” Holcomb wrote in court filings.
However, U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley rejected the prosecution’s request for home confinement, opting instead to release Patterson into the custody of his parents, with whom he has resided since his arrest last year. Cardoza received a matching sentence of three years’ probation during his sentencing hearing on Oct. 1.
The investigation unfolded quickly after surveillance cameras captured two masked individuals entering the facility and lighting a Roman candle before setting off the main device. Authorities identified the suspects after Patterson spoke with students at the nearby Wentworth Institute of Technology, where the duo had attended Halloween festivities. Patterson reportedly disclosed to a student the following morning that he and Cardoza had detonated a firework in a locker.
The arrest dealt a swift blow to Patterson’s career path. He lost his position as an apprentice carpenter with a custom luxury home builder on Cape Cod—a role his family described as his “dream job.” In a letter to the court, his mother, Kelley Patterson, noted that her son accepted accountability for the loss, acknowledging it as a direct consequence of his choices. Patterson secured new employment a month later as a laborer and was subsequently promoted to a machine operator.
In a sentencing memorandum, defense attorney Kevin Reddington highlighted Patterson’s lack of a criminal record, strong mental health, and active involvement in his community, noting that he routinely assists neighbors with yard work and chores. Neighbors, family friends, and Patterson’s current employer also submitted written statements praising his remorse and personal growth.
With federal court proceedings now concluded, both young men will serve three years under supervision while making restitution payments for the physical damage caused to the university building.
