SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (RNS) It took two five-gallon containers of gasoline and anger over the election of the nation’s first black president to burn down a predominantly black church last November, investigators say.

Three men, one of whom investigators said told them he “was angry that the country was going to have an African-American president and that `blacks and Puerto Ricans’ would now have more rights than whites,” walked through the woods to the Macedonia Church of God in Christ, poured gasoline inside and outside the new church building and set it ablaze in the early hours of Nov. 5, states an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court.

The affidavit by a special agent of the FBI also contains references to drug use and multiple arsons by at least two of the men charged with the church fire. It shows the FBI, state and local police used an informant and an undercover state trooper to conduct the investigation, which led to the arrests Friday (Jan. 16) of the three men, all of whom live near where the church was being built.

The Macedonia Church of God in Christ was destroyed just hours after the Obama’s election. Arrested were Benjamin F. Haskell, 22; Michael F. Jacques, 24; and Thomas A. Gleason Jr., 21. They are charged with knowingly conspiring to “injure, oppress, threaten, and intimidate parishioners” of Macedonia Church. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

Investigators knew within hours of the blaze that it was a case of arson, with state police dogs obtaining “positive hits” for an accelerant at over 20 locations at the fire site,” according to the affidavit by Special Agent Ian D. Smythe.

According to the affidavit: “Gleason stated that when Haskell and Jacques came to his house the evening of Nov. 4, they were angry about the election of Barack Obama and discussed burning the black church with Gleason. Gleason claimed that he thought it was a stupid idea, but went along anyway.”

Four days after the blaze, Springfield police detectives made contact with an informant who provided the first leads to suspects in the case, according to the affidavit. That informant, described as “a cooperating witness” told investigators he was riding in a car with Haskell and Jacques two days after the fire and the group stopped at the fire scene.

The affidavit states: “When Haskell dropped Witness A at his residence, Haskell turned to Witness A and stated, `We did it.’ Witness A subsequently told investigators that when he asked Haskell why they had burned the church, Haskell responded, `Because it was a black church.”‘

Bishop Bryant Robinson Jr., pastor of Macedonia Church, said Monday that the “practice of racism undermines the full potential of our country. It wants to deny the contributions of the best of all our people. It’s irrational.”

Robinson said it is reassuring that the task force has “produced results,” particularly as the church prepares to rebuild.

Lawyers representing the three men stressed there must be a presumption of innocence, and one lawyer said the case “is not what it seems on paper.”