Jacob E. Lahousse, Arson, Rhode Island 2022

A 23-year-old man was sentenced to five years in federal prison for setting fires in a Woonsocket mill-type building in April 2019.

Jacob E. Lahousse, of Rhode Island, previously admitted to a federal judge that he gained access to the building by climbing a ladder and entering the rear of the structure.

According to the investigation, Lahousse set fires to the inside of a desktop computer on the basement level; to a piece(s) of fabric on the basement level; and to a loveseat in a first-floor office.

A handwritten note was posted on the wall in the office that sustained fire damage, stating, ‘[i]n case you decided 2 call the feds I got pics of the fam.’

Video surveillance shows Lahousse walking around the inside of the building, collecting various items and placing them into bags. Two hours after entering the building, Lahousse is seen on surveillance video destroying several video surveillance cameras.

Lahousse pleaded guilty on September 12, 2022, to a charge of arson. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to sixty months of incarceration in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.

The court also ordered Lahousse to pay $333,333 in restitution for damages caused by his criminal actions.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dulce Donovan.

The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Woonsocket Police Department; and the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal’s Office.

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