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Jason Mattis, 49, was arrested by federal agents and arraigned on weapons charges, said US Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero in a statement Tuesday, Dec. 20.
Investigators believe Mattis was responsible for a string of firebombings in the city's Tacony section in June and July, prosecutors wrote.
Twice on June 30 and once on July 1, authorities said Mattis lit an "incendiary device" and lobbed it at a residence. On all three occasions, the attack caused a fire on the homes' porches, they added.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) described the devices as "Molotov cocktails," which the agency defines as "glass bottles filled with gasoline that ignite their fuse when broken."
Prosecutors have not revealed an apparent motive for the attacks. If convicted, Mattis faces up to 30 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, a $750,000 fine, and a $300 special assessment, officials said.
Bureau of Prisons records on Mattis' case were not available Tuesday afternoon.
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