FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
January 12, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HIGHLAND MAN CHARGED WITH ARSON OF HIS HOME
Baltimore, Maryland - Scott Daniel Wilson, age 55, of Highland, Maryland, has been charged by criminal complaint with arson, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. The criminal complaint was filed on January 9, 2009 and Wilson has an initial appearance scheduled at 3:00 p.m. today in federal court today.
According to the affidavit supporting the complaint, on October 31, 2008, a fire occurred at a single family house located at 7202 Mink Hollow Road. Wilson was living in the home, which was owned by his ex-wife, Sarah Manning, who died in December 2007. The fire caused substantial damage to the home.
The affidavit alleges that subsequent investigation determined that the fire was intentionally set. Furthermore, another fire was found to have been previously extinguished in a detached outbuilding located next to the home, probably sometime in the first half of 2008. On July 17, 2007, the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services responded to a fire burning along the fence line of the property. The fire was also determined to be intentionally set.
The affidavit further alleges that Wilson owns Subtractions LLC, a computer and electronics recycling company servicing the Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia area. Following the home fire, Wilson and a night guard at the company’s warehouse in Laurel allegedly got into a dispute. On November 28, 2008, a fire damaged the guard’s truck.
Wilson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
An complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Howard County Fire Department for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorney Harry Gruber, who is prosecuting the case.