If convicted, Pirro said the offenses could carry penalties of up to ten years in prison.
The arrest comes after the memorial was allegedly hit with bright pink graffiti and its iconic fountain was flooded with bubble soap on Thursday.
Pirro, whose own family has ties to the generation that fought in World War II, delivered a forceful response while announcing the charges.
“Vandalizing our World War II Memorial is a despicable attack on a sacred monument honoring the Americans who fought and died for our freedom. Those Americans include my father and grandfather. This morning, we are filing two felony charges, Depredation Against Property of the United States and Destruction of Veterans’ Memorials, in Federal District Court against Melissa L. Farris, offenses that carry penalties of up to ten years in prison. She is now in custody,” Pirro added.
Authorities say the phrase “Clean hands, dirty money,” was painted across part of the memorial in bright pink.
Meanwhile, soap poured into the central fountain produced a massive amount of foam, dramatically altering the appearance of a site dedicated to Americans who served and sacrificed during the Second World War.
The National World War II Memorial honors the millions of Americans who served during the conflict, including more than 400,000 U.S. military personnel who never returned home.
Images of the damage quickly drew national attention — including from President Donald Trump.
Trump condemned those responsible and vowed that authorities were pursuing the perpetrators.
“Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals. THERE CAN BE NO GREATER INSULT TO THOSE AMERICAN HEROES WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II. First the Reflecting Pool, now this. We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???” he wrote in a Friday post on Truth Social.
The episode comes amid heightened scrutiny of vandalism and other destructive acts involving monuments and federal property in the nation’s capital.
Trump has pushed his administration to take a harder line against people accused of damaging historic landmarks, arguing that attacks on monuments should bring serious consequences rather than a slap on the wrist.
Another dispute has centered on a former Olympian accused of damaging a protective surface at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
That matter has fueled a broader debate inside Washington over how federal prosecutors should approach cases involving damage to nationally significant sites.
There was another troubling incident on the National Mall earlier this summer.
In June, U.S. Park Police launched an investigation after the numbers “8647” were burned into grass near the Washington Monument.
The marking appeared in a conspicuous location between the Washington Monument and the World War II Memorial, bringing additional attention to security and vandalism across the Mall.
Now federal authorities have moved quickly in the latest case.
Rather than ending with cleanup crews simply removing paint and foam, the alleged vandalism at the World War II Memorial has resulted in an arrest and two serious federal charges.
Farris is accused of damaging a monument built to preserve the memory of a generation that endured one of the bloodiest wars in human history.
And Pirro’s announcement leaves little doubt about the message prosecutors want to send.
When vandals target America’s veterans memorials, federal authorities are prepared to pursue felony charges — and potentially years in federal prison.
