A string of fires that ravaged commercial trailers in Arizona has landed a Michigan man in hot water. Viorel Pricop, 64, of Allen Park, Michigan, has been indicted on three counts of Arson of Property in Interstate Commerce.
According to federal prosecutors, Pricop set two commercial semi-truck trailers ablaze near Willcox, Arizona, on February 7, 2022, and one commercial semi-truck trailer near Holbrook, Arizona, on March 1, 2022, damaging the trailers and cargo. All three trailers were owned by Swift Transportation.
A conviction for Arson of Property in Interstate Commerce carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Pricop is currently in federal custody in the Central District of California. He was indicted there on November 9, 2022, on six counts of Arson of Property in Interstate Commerce after allegedly setting fire to Swift Transportation trailers in San Bernadino and Riverside Counties.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah B. Houston and Benjamin Goldberg, District of Arizona, are handling the prosecution.
Related Federal Cases
- Viorel Pricop, Arson Attacks, California 2024 · Alabama
- Viorel Pricop, Arson, New Mexico 2023 · Oklahoma
- Viorel Pricop, Arson, Arizona 2022 · Alabama
- Viorel Pricop, Arson of Semi-Truck Trailers, Michigan 2024 · California
- Viorel Pricop, Arson, New Mexico 2023 · Oklahoma
Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Violent CrimeViolent CrimeViolent CrimeViolent Crime