SNOHOMISH COUNTY MEN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ARSON OF EDMONDS CONDO PROJECT AND ATTEMPTED ARSON OF BOTHELL BIOTECH
Pair Joined with Juveniles, Torching Buildings So They Could Watch Them Burn
Two young men were sentenced to prison today in U.S. District Court in Seattle in connection with the December 17, 2005 arson of an unfinished condominium project in Edmonds, Washington. DANIEL SHREVE, 20, of Everett, Washington was sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release and RANDOM SCOTT HAUG, 22, of Snohomish, Washington was sentenced to 44 months in prison and three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour ordered both men to pay restitution of more than $5.9 million.
Both men pleaded guilty in October 2006, admitting that they joined with two juveniles in the arson of the Gregory Condominiums in downtown Edmonds. The intense fire, which threatened surrounding buildings, was started by gasoline that SHREVE, and one of the juveniles, poured in the building. SHREVE had originally attempted to start the fire by throwing a molotov cocktail into the building made from gas, styrofoam and a juice bottle. When that didn’t work, HAUG drove the group to a gas station, where the juvenile filled a jar with gasoline. The group returned to the condo and the juvenile and SHREVE poured the gas on the construction site and lit it. SHREVE and the juvenile returned to the building to make sure the fire was going – they even piled more combustibles on the flames to ensure the fire would catch hold. The estimated loss from the fire was more than five million dollars.
In addition to the Edmonds fire, SHREVE, HAUG and the juvenile also attempted to burn down a Bothell business on January 12, 2006. HAUG drove the group to Alder Biopharmacceuticals Inc. Along the way the group stole several propane tanks. SHREVE attempted to light one of the tanks and threw it through the front window of the business. The tank burned for a short time, charring the floor, but did not ignite the rest of the building.
At today’s sentencing, the owner of the condominium project, Robert Gregg, told the court how the blaze had impacted many lives. The condos were just 90 days from completion at the time of the fire. More than two dozen had been presold, and some buyers had sold their homes anticipating a move into their new condo. Some buyers had to live in hotels, scrambling to find places to live while construction started over. Subcontractors on the project had to shut down and lay off more than 80 employees just eight days before Christmas. A restaurant near the fire had to close and cancel a holiday party. Gregg said it will be three to four years before he is back financially to where he was before the fire.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Edmonds Police Department, and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department. The juveniles involved in these crimes were prosecuted by the Snohomish County Prosecutors Office. Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Miyake handled the federal prosecutions.
For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110.