Man who tried to blow up building sentenced to prison

A chiropractor who tried to blow up the building that held his office, as well as seven others, has been sentenced to five years in a federal prison.

Matthew Zarit of Holladay previously had pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to damage a building with explosives. U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell imposed the prison term Thursday.

Police said Zarit had planned the explosion and fire for June 2, 2008, using information about combining gasoline with sodium hydroxide that he had gleaned from the Internet. Zarit planted containers, fuses, road flares and a timer in the Park City building, with the expectation that these would demolish the building.

But the plans were thwarted when a dentist who also had an office there spotted the suspicious items and called 911. Officials deactivated the device and then searched the building, where they found other bottles with the explosive mixture in Zarit's office.

Investigators said Zarit was seeking an insurance payment because he had financial troubles.

— Linda Thomson