“Mr. Lawson’s actions repeatedly put the lives of every tenant in that apartment complex at risk,” Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley said today. “I am pleased that Mr. Lawson has taken responsibility for his actions and I am satisfied that today’s sentence is appropriate given the potentially deadly consequences of his criminal conduct.”

In April 2008, Lawson pled guilty to one count of maliciously damaging or destroying, and attempting to damage or destroy, by means of a fire, a building or other real property used in interstate commerce. In addition, Lawson agreed to pay a total of $73,801.87 in restitution to Crum & Foster Insurance/United States Fire Insurance Co., State Farm Fire and Casualty Co., Stonemark Management and Omnicorp Realty for damages related to his actions.

On multiple occasions, Lawson set fires at the Terrace View Apartments in Blacksburg. The apartment complex is comprised of 880 residential units. Approximately 90 percent of Terrace View’s residents are students at nearby Virginia Tech University.

The facts of the case are as follows:

On July 19, 2007, at approximately 9:55 p.m., members of the Blacksburg Fire Department responded to a 911 emergency call from the defendant. The defendant had reported that there was a fire in the basement common area used by tenants for storage and laundry in building 5500 of Terrace View Apartments. The fire did damage, burn, and char the structure of the real property. After extinguishing the fire, a fire code official conducted a cause and origin investigation of the fire. The official concluded, after ruling out all natural and accidental causes of ignition, that the fire originated in a storage unit in the laundry room of the apartment complex and ruled the fire as “suspicious.”

On August 31, 2007, at approximately 3:07 a.m., members of the Blacksburg Fire Department responded to a report of a fire located in building 5500 of Terrace View Apartments. After extinguishing the fire, a fire code official conducted a cause and origin investigation of the fire. The official concluded, after ruling out all natural and accidental causes of ignition, that the fire originated in the water heater room of building 5500 and that the cause of the fire was arson. The fire that resulted from the arson did damage, burn, and char the structure of the real property. While attempting to suppress the fire, police and fire fighters observed the Lawson in the area of the fire. The defendant was seen holding a portable police scanner. Following the second arson, the storage-laundry area of the 5500 building was secured.

On September 20, 2007, at approximately 4:23 a.m., members of the Blacksburg Fire Department responded to a report of a fire located in building 5100 at the Terrace View Apartments. Building 5100 is located across a small parking lot from building 5500. After extinguishing the fire, a fire code official conducted a cause and origin investigation of the fire. The Official concluded, after ruling out all natural and accidental causes of ignition, that the fire originated in the storage unit area of building 5100 and that the cause of the fire was arson. The fire that resulted from the arson did damage, burn, and char the structure of the real property. Police and fire fighters again observed Lawson at the scene of the arson, being one of the first four persons to arrive at the scene. A hydrocarbon gas detector, which is a device that can detect trace amounts of accelerants after a fire, alerted officials to the presence of hydrocarbon gas on the person of Lawson.

Subsequently, Lawson was charged in an October 2007 three count indictment with maliciously damaging by means of fire a building or other real property. The investigation of the case was conducted by the Virginia State Police, the Blacksburg Police Department, the Virginia Tech Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Donald R. Wolthuis prosecuted the case for the United States.

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