Man sentenced to over 8 years in prison for arson, rioting during George Floyd riots in Minneapolis

32-year-old Victor Devon Edwards was sentenced by US District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz on Wednesday. Edwards was convicted of one count of riot and one count of arson by a federal jury on August 12, 2021, according to the United States Attorney's Office District of Minnesota.

On August 26, 2020, Edwards drove to downtown Minneapolis after a city-wide curfew was put into place to join a large crowd that had gathered after false reports that police officers were involved in the death of a man on Nicollet Mall earlier that day.

Evidence presented at the trial said that over the course of three hours, Edwards engaged in acts of riot, arson, and other property damage and destruction in downtown Minneapolis.

Edwards was captured on surveillance video numerous times, once at Saks Off Fifth where he participated in looting and rioting, as well as entering nearby closed stores.

He was also captured on camera helping others break into the Target Headquarters building, and adding fuel to a fire set inside the building. That fire caused around $1 million in damages.

Edwards was also captured on camera entering the nearby Brit's Pub, which became engulfed in flames shortly after he entered.

"During and after his criminal activity downtown that evening, Edwards bragged about his participation in the rioting and looting," according to a press release from the US Attorney's Office District of Minnesota. "Edwards also took orders from friends for items to loot. The next morning, Edwards took a video of himself flashing a large amount of cash and saying, 'On the looting side...' He also admitted that he got 'MK purses and money' in text messages with his friends."