Viorel Pricop, Arson of Vehicle, Arizona 2025

A federal jury in Arizona has found 66-year-old Viorel Pricop, of Allen Park, Michigan, guilty of three counts of arson of a vehicle or property in interstate commerce.

The crimes occurred at Swift Transportation truck stops in Willcox and Holbrook, Arizona, in 2022. According to the evidence presented at an 8-day trial, Pricop maliciously set fire to three semi-truck trailers belonging to Swift Transportation, a Phoenix-based commercial trucking company.

The investigation revealed that at least 16 additional Swift Transportation semi-trailers were set on fire in multiple states between October 2021 and September 2022. These arsons occurred at locations spanning Barstow, California to McCalla, Alabama, with most occurring along Interstate 10 and Interstate 40.

Cellular data analysis showed that a device used by Pricop for navigation had connected to cell towers in the vicinity and around the times of the fires. Additional items, including a gas torch, lighters, and fuel-soaked rags, were found in Pricop’s vehicle.

Pricop has been in federal custody since October 2022. United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker has scheduled a sentencing hearing for November 13, 2025. At that time, Pricop will face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison for each count.

The Albuquerque Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation in this case, with significant assistance from the ATF Fire Research and Forensic Laboratories, ATF Certified Fire Investigators, and Special Agents from the ATF National Cellular Analytics Program.

The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 22-CR-02747-JCH-EJM. RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-141_Pricop.

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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