PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – In a shocking turn of events, Gregory E. Simonds Jr., a 42-year-old man from Pensacola, has been federally charged with arson in a case that has left the community reeling.
According to the indictment, Simonds is accused of setting fire to a building located at 792 Beal Parkway in Fort Walton Beach, causing a personal injury. The indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Simonds is scheduled to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon on August 27, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida.
If convicted, Simonds faces a minimum mandatory of seven years’ imprisonment up to a maximum term of 40 years’ imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Related Federal Cases
- Florida Man, Assaulting Law Enforcement, Washington DC, 2021 · Washington
- Janice Martina Mason, Voluntary Manslaughter, Florida, 2023 · Pennsylvania
- FBI Florida Offices, No Title or Defendant Mentioned, Florida, 2023 · Florida
- Michael Yoder Threatened to Blow Up Polling Place, South Florida, 2024 · Florida
- Benjamin Haskell, Arson, Springfield MA, 2007 · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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