Natalie K. Wight, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon
A Salem man appeared in federal court today, facing charges related to the possession of Molotov cocktails. Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, is accused of illegally possessing an unregistered destructive device.
Court documents reveal that on January 20, 2025, officers from the Salem Police Department responded to reports of Molotov cocktails being thrown at a local car dealership. On February 19, 2025, officers returned to the same location following reports of damage caused by bullets fired into a building and vehicle.
Investigators connected Lansky to both incidents through surveillance footage. The footage allegedly shows Lansky throwing Molotov cocktails at the dealership's building and vehicles, igniting fires. Additional video from a patrol car reportedly captured Lansky discharging firearm rounds into a building and vehicle. The vehicle used was registered to Lansky and observed at his residence.
Lansky was arrested without incident in Salem on Tuesday and made his initial appearance in federal court before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He remains detained pending further proceedings.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Salem Police Department. Parakram Singh, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, is prosecuting the case.
"A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime," officials remind the public that "a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."
