FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

FRIDAY - April 1, 2011

DEFENDANT SENTENCED FOR ARSON OF CAROLINA TIRE SALES

NEW BERN - United States Attorney George E.B. Holding announced that in federal court today before Chief United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced DANIEL WAYNE SCOTT, 20, of Chadbourn, North Carolina, to 84 months’ imprisonment followed by five years’ supervised release. SCOTT was also ordered to pay restitution of over $1.5 million.

A Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment on October 27, 2010. On January 12, 2011, SCOTT and his co-defendant, Michael Cody Clamp, pled guilty to aiding and abetting arson in violation of Title, 18, United States Code, Section 844. Another co-defendant, Richard Blake Turner, pled guilty to similar charges on October 12, 2010.

The investigation revealed that Turner, Clamp, and SCOTT intentionally started the fire so that SCOTT, a volunteer firefighter, would be able to earn extra money. On September 21, 2009, SCOTT and Clamp asked Turner if he wanted to make some money. Clamp stated that he had a plan to set the old Ithaca plant on fire in order that SCOTT could make extra money. SCOTT and Clamp picked Turner up around 11:00 p.m.

The three men drove to an area about 1/4 mile away from the site, and parked the car. SCOTT had two small plastic bottles filled with a liquid used to start fires. After walking around the building, SCOTT left Turner and Clamp. SCOTT entered the building through a broken window. From the plastic bottles he was carrying, he splashed the liquid contents around some tires, started a fire, and left the building through the broken window. Shortly thereafter, SCOTT yelled “run,” and Turner and Clamp saw SCOTT running away from the building. Public safety officers suffered personal injury during and in relation to the fire suppression efforts.Turner was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment on February 25, 2011. Restitution of $1,663,067 was also imposed. Clamp will be sentenced at a later date.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the Chadbourn Police Department and the Columbus County Fire Marshal’s Office. The United States Environmental Protection Agency also assisted in the fire suppression clean-up efforts. Assistant United States Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan represented the government.

News releases are available on the U. S. Attorney’s web page at www.usdoj.gov/usao/nce within 48 hours of release.