ST. THOMAS, USVI – The grim specter of arson descended upon the U.S. Navy and Marine Recruitment Center in St. Thomas when Spencer Wayne Allen, 25, was arrested for a fire that destroyed the building on February 28, 2017.
According to authorities, the blaze at the Nisky Shopping Center, where the recruitment center is located, led to its complete destruction. The incident sparked two other fires, one at the Ron De Lugo Federal Courthouse and another at the U.S. Coast Guard Station, before the morning was over.
Allen made his initial appearance in court on April 4, 2017, facing a criminal complaint that charges him with maliciously damaging federal property by means of fire. The court deemed there was probable cause to believe Allen committed the offense, and he remains detained pending trial.
The devastating fire resulted from a 911 call received by the Virgin Islands Territory Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) early on February 28. The local police and fire departments were swift to respond but could not save the recruitment center from the inferno.
Arson, or maliciously damaging federal property by means of fire, is a serious charge that carries a sentence of not less than five years in prison and up to a maximum term of 20 years if Allen is found guilty.
The investigation into the arson is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Tasheika Hinson is prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe reminds all that a complaint is merely a formal charging document and does not prove guilt; every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Key Facts
- State: Virgin Islands
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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