PHOENIX, ARIZ. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Arizona), published as received.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – A federal jury found Marco Anderson Bia, 21, of Tsaile, Arizona, guilty of arson last week. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2027, before U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa.

The evidence at trial showed that on April 14, 2025, Bia, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, broke into the Student Union Building of Diné College on the Navajo Nation Reservation, in Tsaile, Arizona. Bia took items from inside the Student Union Building and set fire to it to leave no trace behind that he had been inside.  

Diné College was established in 1968 by the Navajo Nation as the first tribally controlled community college in the United States and it is the largest tribally controlled community college in the Nation. 

“Diné College is a historic symbol of the Navajo Nation and the jury’s verdict is the strongest declaration of justice in American law,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “The dedicated and talented AUSAs and agents who built, tried, and secured this victory are the best in the Department of Justice. The District of Arizona will go to any length and try any case to secure justice for victims like Diné College.”

“The destruction of the Student Union Building disrupted essential student and community services, displaced numerous departments, and created operational challenges that continue today. The consequences of the deliberate actions committed that night have had a lasting impact on our institution and the people we serve,” said a representative from Diné College. “With the jury's guilty verdict, we believe that justice has been served. While no verdict can restore what was lost or erase the pain experienced by our College community, this outcome represents an important step toward accountability and closure.”

“The deliberate actions committed by Mr. Bia will not be tolerated. The arson at Diné College Student Union devastated the Navajo community's capacity to thrive and support their students' education, leaving a wound that will take years to heal,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day. “We hope this guilty verdict provides some comfort to the Navajo community that justice has been served.”

“Arson is a violent crime that not only endangers lives but also destroys community institutions, erases important legacies, and threatens our shared sense of safety,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge A. J. Gibes. “The deliberate burning of a historic and culturally significant location like Diné College’s Student Union Building inflicted deep harm on the students, faculty, and Navajo Nation community who depend on it. ATF is committed to pursuing justice for victims of arson and ensuring those who commit these destructive acts are held fully accountable.”

A conviction for arson carries a maximum penalty of up to 25 years of imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or the cost of repairing or replacing any property that is damaged or destroyed, whichever is greater, or both. 

The FBI Phoenix Division’s Gallup office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Navajo Nation Criminal Investigator’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Doyle and Christina J. Reid-Moore, District of Arizona, Phoenix, prosecuted the case.

CASE NUMBER:            25-CR-08189-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2026-182_Bia 

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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