Forest Place Apartments’ Arsonist Sentenced To 16 Years In Federal Prison

LITTLE ROCK – Christopher R. Thyer, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced that Lacey Rae Moore, 44, who pleaded guilty to intentionally starting fires at Forest Place Apartments, including one that destroyed an entire building, was sentenced to 16 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $12 million in restitution on Friday.

Today, the Honorable Billy Roy Wilson sentenced Moore to nine years on Count 4 and seven years on Count 7, and then ordered that sentences be run consecutively for a total of 16 years, with five years of supervised release to follow. In addition, Judge Wilson ordered Moore to pay $12,558,802.82 in restitution, which accounts for the property damage to Forest Place as well as personal property insurance claims from multiple victims.

“Today’s sentence shows just how serious Lacey Moore’s crimes were and the harm it caused to the residents of Forest Place Apartments,” stated Thyer. “I hope today’s sentence will give some measure of closure to the many families that were impacted by these fires.”

On August 1, 2014, Moore pleaded guilty to Counts 4 and 7 of an eight-count indictment that charged her with the seven fires, plus the use of an unregistered explosive device in another fire at a Little Rock residence. Count 4 was for a May 16, 2013, fire at Forest Place Apartments in Little Rock that completely destroyed the North Building and forced the evacuation of 350-400 people. As a result of that fire at least 79 people were permanently displaced. A Little Rock Firefighter was injured suppressing the fire. Count 7 was for a June 28, 2013, fire in the South Building the forced the evacuation of 100 people and permanently displaced another 11.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with substantial assistance from the Little Rock Fire Department, the Arkansas State Police and the Little Rock Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens.