Latest Arson Headlines

All the headlines from our Arson Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Michigan Landlord Sentenced to 55 Years in Arson Case

Nov 12 2013 // A 74-year-old West Michigan landlord convicted of arson and other charges in a case involving insurance fraud has been sentenced to 55 years in prison. A federal court jury in Grand Rapids earlier this year convicted...

Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty To Arson-Related Fraud

Nov 11 2013 // A Broken Arrow, Okla. man has pleaded guilty to a federal mail fraud charge that authorities say is related to an alleged arson at an east Tulsa self-storage facility.The Tulsa World reported that a plea agreement has been...

Joplin Man Held Without Bail in Planned Parenthood Arson Case

Nov 1 2013 // A federal judge has ordered no bail for a southwest Missouri man suspected of setting fires at a Planned Parenthood facility and an area mosque.U.S. Magistrate Judge James England on Monday ordered Jedediah Stout, 30, to...

Old Arson Cases in Texas Being Reviewed by New Panel

Oct 23 2013 // A new review by the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office of old arson cases that might have relied on bad science has so far discovered three questionable convictions.But the effort has also drawn criticism from a West...

2nd Arson Attempt at Missouri Planned Parenthood

Oct 9 2013 // Investigators say someone tried for the second time to start a fire at a Joplin, Mo., Planned Parenthood clinic.The Oct. 4 nighttime fire caused minor damage before a police officer was able to put out the blaze. During an...

Police: Bag on Missouri Clinic Roof Failed Try at Arson

Oct 8 2013 // Investigators say they’re looking into a failed arson attempt at a southwest Missouri Planned Parenthood clinic after a bag containing incendiary material was found on the roof.Surveillance video from the facility in...

6 Indicted for Arson, Insurance Fraud Scheme in Missouri

Oct 1 2013 // Six people have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Missouri for their roles in an arson and insurance fraud conspiracy, Tammy Dickinson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced.One of the...

N.Y. Building Co-Owner Gets Prison in Arson, Ordered to Pay Restitution to Insurer

Aug 12 2013 // A federal judge has sentenced a 55-year-old central New York man to more than 18 years in prison for his role in the arson of a factory building he co-owned and the subsequent $4.2 million insurance claim. U.S. District...

Oregon Man Charged With Arson in Stagecoach Fire

Jul 25 2013 // Police have arrested a Central Oregon man accused of starting a wildfire that burned a Klamath County cabin and forced the temporary evacuation of about 120 homes.Kelly Parker, 30, of La Pine pleaded not guilty Tuesday...

Louisiana Woman Faces Murder Charge in Arson-for-Insurance Scheme

Jul 12 2013 // A woman accused of igniting a deadly bakery fire in Gretna, La., last month is facing murder charges after authorities said she torched her business in a scheme to collect insurance proceeds.Authorities say Lesly Martinez,...

Mom, Daughter Charged With Arson, Insurance Fraud in Connecticut

May 21 2013 // A mother and daughter have been charged with setting a fire that heavily damaged the older woman’s home in Stratford, Conn.Police tell the Connecticut Post they became suspicious after finding valuables and all the...

Insurer: Arson Ring Operated for 2 Decades in Flint, Michigan

Apr 12 2013 // An insurance company says more than a dozen people operated an arson-for-profit ring in Flint, Mich., that collected more than $2 million over two decades.The Flint Journal reports State Farm Insurance says in a lawsuit in...

Questionable Arson Investigation Leads to New Trial for Texas Man

Mar 29 2013 // A Texas man convicted of setting a fire that killed his two stepsons was granted a new trial by the state’s highest criminal court, which sided with experts who question the fire investigation used to convict him.Ed...

Texas Arson Convictions Under Review In Light of New Fire Science

Mar 25 2013 // Ed Graf was given life in prison 25 years ago for killing his two stepsons by locking them in a backyard shed and setting it on fire. Two investigators used photos of the shed’s remains to persuade jurors that Graf...

Mississippi County Lets Fire Departments Charge Patients for Medical Response

Feb 6 2013 // Harrison County supervisors have voted to allow American Medical Response to send a separate bill to patients when city and county fire departments respond to emergency medical calls. However, a representative from AMR...

Arson Registry Compromise Clears Ohio Legislature

Dec 17 2012 // Convicted arsonists in Ohio would be required to register with local sheriffs under a bill headed to the governor’s desk.Gov. John Kasich plans to sign it. The legislation creates a statewide registry of arsonists...

Ohio Lawmakers Pass Bill to Create Arson Registry

Dec 3 2012 // Convicted arsonists in Ohio would be required to register with local sheriffs under a bill headed to the governor’s desk.The Ohio House voted 89-2 on Nov. 28 to send the measure to Gov. John Kasich. The legislation...

Insurer Seeks Delay in Landmark Wyoming Hotel Arson Suit

Nov 7 2012 // An insurance company is asking a federal judge in Cheyenne to delay a lawsuit over a disputed insurance claim in a 2010 fire that destroyed a landmark Wyoming hotel. National Security Corp. has asked U.S. District Judge...

Minnesota Contractor Gets 6 Years for Arson Conviction

Nov 1 2012 // A Duluth, Minn., building contractor convicted of vandalizing a client’s duplex over a billing fight has been sentenced to almost seven years in prison.A jury convicted 35-year-old Adam Leroy Seavey of first-degree...

South Carolina Trooper’s Wife Charged with Arson, Insurance Fraud

Sep 14 2012 // The wife of a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper has been charged with setting her home on fire and lying to officials.Paula L. Rose has been charged with third-degree arson for a fire at her home in July. Rose also is...