A Belleville resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to arson after admitting to starting a fire at a gas station in Lebanon, Illinois. Carlos A. Rodriguez, 33, entered his plea to one count of arson of real property used in interstate commerce. Sentencing is set for January 7, 2026.
Court records show that on the evening of September 10, 2018, Rodriguez visited the CC Food Mart in Lebanon. While inside the men’s bathroom, he set fire to a plastic air freshener attached to the wall before leaving the store.
About seven minutes after Rodriguez left, customers and employees noticed smoke and discovered an active fire in the restroom. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Fire Research Laboratory later recreated the restroom environment and performed several experiments to determine how quickly such a fire could spread. These tests helped investigators rule out other individuals who had used the restroom that night.
The incident resulted in approximately $6,000 worth of damage due to both the fire and firefighting efforts.
Arson convictions involving real property used in interstate commerce carry significant penalties. These include a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to twenty years in prison, fines as high as $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
The investigation was led by ATF with support from the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office and Lebanon Police Department. The Lebanon Fire Department responded at the scene. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke is handling prosecution duties.
“Carlos A. Rodriguez, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of arson of real property used in interstate commerce. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2026.”
