MINNEAPOLIS — Two men who have claimed responsibility for burning down Minneapolis' third police precinct are each facing less than five years in prison, but they each face a lifetime of debt to the government.
"The big surprise, of course, was the degree in terms of monetary compensation or restitution," said University of Minnesota law professor David Schultz.
Dylan Robinson, 23, has been sentenced to four years in prison and Brandon Wolfe, 23, has been sentenced to three years and five months. Each has been ordered to pay $12 million in restitution.
"It's more than any of us could probably pay in our lifetime," said University of St Thomas Mark Osler, a former federal prosecutor. "For property destruction, this is pretty high."
Osler says the federal prosecutors and judges know that the young men likely won't be able to pay back the full amount.
"Maybe a fraction of it," Osler said. "But one thing to remember is there will be other people who are going to be convicted of the same thing, who will also be responsible for that amount."
So far, at least two others, Bryce Williams and Davon Turner have also pleaded guilty for their roles in the arson. they admitting to lighting and throwing Molotov cocktails at the precinct, but have yet to be sentenced.
"These sentences are part of a restorative justice movement that really started in Minnesota, and across the country, a generation ago," Schultz said. "The idea is that people who commit crimes, and who are convicted, should compensate the victims for the damages they've caused."
In this case, Schultz says the victims are Minneapolis taxpayers, even though the city isn't expecting a big check to fund a new precinct any time soon.
Kent Erdahl: "Just practically, how is that kind of money even attempted to be collected? Is it garnished wages for the rest of their life?"
Osler: "It can be. In some circumstances that's what happens, or it could be a lean against property. There's a lot of ways that they can try to collect."
But that collection process also has to strike a balance, especially with young adults who likely have much more time on their hands than money.
"We're going to see this probably adjusted several times in course of their life," Schultz said. "The percentage could change as they get married or divorced or have children, as they change jobs and so forth."
"They're usually going to try to allow the person a route by which they can earn money going forward, and live legitimately to be able to pay off more in the future," Osler said. "But the amount is still overwhelming."
So why aim so high?
"In a case like this, what they're interested in is deterrents," Osler said. "They want to convince people, who might consider that kind of action themselves in the future, not to do it. Certainly having that kind of financial settlement over your head is something that, for some people, may deter them."
"They are going to be reminded every day for the rest of their life as they're paying this back," Schultz said. "It will be there every month as they're writing a check or seeing their salary garnished, or their bank accounts garnished."
Another thing to consider, Schultz says restitution isn't like other debt. You can't avoid it by declaring bankruptcy, and if you win the lottery or receive another large sum of money, like an inheritance, the government can take a much bigger share.