Two Orleans Parish residents, Ryan Burlett, 34, and Damien Burlett, 39, have been charged with setting fires on the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge.
According to a Bill of Information filed in federal court, the Burlett brothers were spotted by a Louisiana Department of Agriculture pilot on February 9, 2012, while they were setting fires on a marsh patch within the refuge.
The pilot, who was on aerial patrol in a Cessna over Slidell, Louisiana, witnessed the brothers start two more fires on marsh patches located within the refuge before fleeing the scene in a small boat.
Following the incident, the pilot turned over photographs of the brothers and their boat to agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for further investigation.
Through their investigation, the agents were able to identify the Burlett brothers as the individuals responsible for setting the fires. The brothers were subsequently interviewed by agents at New Orleans Fire Department Station 31, where they both worked as firemen.
During the interview, the Burlett brothers admitted to setting the fires, saying they were the individuals in the photographs taken by the pilot.
Each brother faces a maximum term of imprisonment of one year, a fine of $100,000, a maximum supervised release term of one year following any term of imprisonment, and a $25 special assessment fee if convicted.
U.S. Attorney Dana Boente noted that the bill of information is merely a charge, and the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis.
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