TikTok ban arson at Grothman's office, man sentenced to prison

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Caiden Stachowicz

FOND DU LAC, Wis. - The man convicted of setting a fire at U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman's office due to last year's short-lived TikTok ban was sentenced to prison on Thursday.

In Court:

Caiden Stachowicz, 20, pleaded no contest to arson in November. He had previously pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, and the court ordered a psychiatric evaluation.

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On Thursday, Fond du Lac County Judge Tricia Walker sentenced Stachowicz to seven years in prison and seven years of extended supervision. He was also ordered to have no contact with Grothman and to pay more than $17,000 in restitution.

Fond du Lac fire

The backstory:

The Fond du Lac police and fire departments were called to Grothman's office, on Peters Avenue just north of Scott Street, around 1 a.m. on Jan. 19, 2025. The building was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported.

Fire damage at U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman's office (January 2025)

Police later found Stachowicz nearby. A criminal complaint accused him of setting fire to Grothman's office because the congressman voted "yes" to require a sale of TikTok. Officials said Stachowicz admitted to starting the fire.

Prosecutors said Stachowicz believed a TikTok shutdown was against his rights, and that he'd held peaceful protests but that "peace isn't an option anymore" and that "he wished the whole building would have burned down."

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What they're saying:

After the fire, Grothman said:

"I think it's unusual he never called us first. His first way to send a message to his congressman was to light the building on fire. It was such a foolish decision by him – he’s only 19 years old. If he wouldn’t have done anything, TikTok would have been back on the air in a couple days."