Stefan Day Rowold, a 37-year-old resident of Wiggins, Mississippi, has been sentenced to 360 months in prison after being found guilty of federal arson and civil rights violations. The sentencing took place on February 3, 2025, following his conviction by a jury in the Southern District of Mississippi in September 2025.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Rowold targeted The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Wiggins on two separate occasions—July 5 and July 7, 2024. Prosecutors stated that he vandalized the church with hateful messages and set fire inside the building using hymnals, paintings, and other religious objects as kindling. After learning that his initial attempt did not destroy the church, Rowold returned two days later to set another fire.
Rowold reportedly told police that his actions were motivated by hostility toward what he believed were the church’s religious beliefs. As a result of these attacks, members of the congregation could not use their building for services for several months. The court determined that damages from the fires totaled $176,564.97 and ordered restitution in that amount.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office announced the sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Kruger stated: “This was a deliberate, hate-fueled attack on a place of worship meant to intimidate an entire community. Attacks like this will be met with the full force of federal law. Today’s sentence demonstrates our commitment to protecting the right to worship in safety and without fear.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Jackson Field Office with support from multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; Mississippi Bureau of Investigation; Mississippi State Fire Marshal; and Wiggins Police Department.
