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INDIANA WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO SETTING

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An Indiana woman today plead guilty to conspiracy to burn churches in twenty states, the National Church Arson Task Force (NCATF) announced.

Angela Wood, 24, was charged in a seven count information with conspiring to burn seven churches in southern Indiana, including fires at Concord Church of Christ in Boone County; Hawcreek Missionary Baptist Church in Hope, Indiana; Grace Baptist Church in Coatsville, Indiana; Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Fillmore, Indiana; and the Christian Liberty Church in Sheridan, Indiana. According to the plea, entered in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, Wood also conspired with Jay Scott Ballinger and Donald Puckett to burn other churches in nineteen additional states.

"Church fires have victimized congregations and assaulted communities," said James E. Johnson, treasury Undersecretary for Enforcement. "We are pleased with today's guilty plea which stems from our ongoing efforts against church arsons. We will remain vigilant and will continue to pursue these cases with vigor."

As a result of today's plea and in return for Wood's testimony against Ballinger, thirty-six U.S. Attorney's offices and the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division have agreed not to prosecute her in connection with any of the fires she helped set in other states.

"We cannot let these fires scorch the spirit of the communities in which they occurred," added Bill Lann Lee, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. "The federal government remains committed to bringing perpetrators of this kind of violence to justice. Today's guilty plea will help bring closure to communities affected by fires around the country."

Wood faces a maximum penalty of 105 years in prison and a maximum potential fine of $1,750,000. The minimum sentence for her crimes is ten years in prison. In September of this year, Puckett plead guilty to the arson at Concord Church of Christ and is currently serving a 27 month sentence.

In Indiana, Ballinger has been indicted on federal charges with burning at least 29 churches throughout the country, including the five Indiana churches set with Wood. He is scheduled to go to trial in February 2000. Indictments have also been returned against Ballinger in four other states charging him with eleven additional fires including fires in California, Georgia, Kentucky and South Carolina.

The National Church Arson Task Force was established by President Clinton in June 1996 and continues to investigate arsons at houses of worship. The NCATF represents a coordinated effort of local, state and federal agencies, led by the Departments of Justice and Treasury, to investigate and prosecute arson attacks on houses of worship, as well as assist communities in the wake of fires. The other federal agencies include HUD, the FBI, the ATF, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Community Relations Service. To date, the NCATF has opened investigations into 834 arsons, bombings and attempted bombings that occurred at houses of worship since January 1, 1995. Federal, state and local authorities have arrested 372 suspects in connection with 300 of the 834 incidents. The NCATF's 34% arrest rate is more than double the rate of arson arrests nationwide.

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