Arsonist Pleads Guilty to 2007 and 2009 Arsons
New Orleans Man Faces 17-Year Sentence
Anthony R. Thomas, 48, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to a nine-count superseding bill of information charging him with multiple criminal counts for his involvement in two arson schemes. According to U.S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr., Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson, two counts of arson, one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of using arson to commit conspiracy, mail, and wire fraud, and one count of making false statements.
Thomas and others attempted to defraud his homeowner’s fire insurance company and their rental fire insurance companies by engaging in sham leases and filing inflated claims for property allegedly burned in the fire in 2007. In 2009, Thomas and others were involved in a similar scheme where a renter filed inflated claims for property allegedly burned in an arson fire. Thomas, who was burned in the 2009 fire, concocted a false story to federal agents to explain his burns.
The investigation into Thomas’s crimes was a joint effort between Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and arson investigators of the New Orleans Fire Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Sanders.
U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan scheduled Thomas’s sentencing for June 18, 2014. He faces a minimum term of imprisonment of seventeen (17) years and a maximum term of imprisonment of fifty (50) years.
Thomas’s guilty plea brings an end to a long and complex investigation into his involvement in these arson schemes. The consequences of his actions will be severe, and he will face the full weight of the law for his crimes.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr. said, “This guilty plea highlights the commitment of our office to holding individuals accountable for their crimes, particularly those that involve serious violence and deception. We will continue to work tirelessly to bring justice to the victims of these crimes.”
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Violent Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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