WILLCOX, AZ – A Michigan man is facing federal arson charges after a grand jury indicted him for allegedly setting fire to three Swift Transportation trailers in Arizona and California. Viorel Pricop, 64, of Allen Park, Michigan, is accused of deliberately torching the trailers, causing significant damage to the vehicles and their cargo.
The indictment, handed down Wednesday in Arizona, alleges Pricop ignited two trailers near Willcox, Arizona, on February 7, 2022. A month later, on March 1, 2022, he allegedly set another Swift trailer ablaze near Holbrook, Arizona. All three trailers were owned and operated by the major trucking company Swift Transportation.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Pricop is already in federal custody in the Central District of California, where he was indicted November 9, 2022, on six counts of Arson of Property in Interstate Commerce related to fires set in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Federal authorities haven’t released details connecting the Arizona and California fires, but the timing and similar targets strongly suggest a pattern.
If convicted of Arson of Property in Interstate Commerce, Pricop faces a stiff penalty: a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation, piecing together evidence linking Pricop to the destructive fires. The investigation continues to determine motive.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Houston and Benjamin Goldberg are prosecuting the case in Arizona (Case Number: CR-22-02747-TUC-JCH-EJM). Authorities emphasize that an indictment is not a finding of guilt, and Pricop is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it moves through the federal court system. The repeated targeting of Swift Transportation trailers raises questions about potential disgruntled employees or other targeted motives, which investigators are reportedly exploring. The full extent of the damage caused by the fires is still being assessed.
Related Federal Cases
- Viorel Pricop, Arson, New Mexico 2023 · Louisiana
- Viorel Pricop, Arson of Semi-Truck Trailers, Michigan 2024 · California
- Viorel Pricop, Arson Attacks, California 2024 · Alabama
- Julian Canastillo, Firearms Trafficking, Arizona 2025 · Nevada
- Keymal Rucker, Illegal Firearms Purchase, Arizona 2023 · California
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