FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
June 17, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DEFENDANT SENTENCED FOR SETTING FIRE TO
U.S. PROBATION OFFICE BUILDING
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Harry L. Easterday, age 28, of Hyattsville, Maryland, today to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for setting fire to a building in which the U.S. Probation Office was located, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
“Anyone who uses violence in an effort to disrupt federal law enforcement operations must be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to the plea agreement, on January 26, 2008 Easterday broke into a building located in Greenbelt and started a fire on the first floor. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler system and only minor damage was incurred. The U.S. Probation Office was the sole tenant of the building. Easterday had been on probation, supervised by a U.S. Probation officer whose office was in the building.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for its investigative work and commended Assistant United States Attorney David I. Salem, who prosecuted the case.