Arsonist Receives 60 Months In Prison For Burning Lorton, Virginia Sandwich Shop

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Horace Sinclair Thompson, Jr., 25, of Lorton, Va., was sentenced today to 60 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for the arson of a retail food establishment located in Lorton, Va.

Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police; Deputy Chief Michael T. Reilly,  Fairfax County Office of the Fire Marshal; and Carl J. Vasilko, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee.

Thompson was found guilty following a multi-day jury trial on October 3, 2013.  According to court documents and evidence adduced at trial, on February 6, 2013, Thompson intentionally poured gasoline inside of a Lorton, Virginia sandwich shop and ignited the flammable vapors with a BiC lighter.  His ignition of the highly volatile vapors caused a massive explosion and fireball that destroyed the majority of the store.  The force of the blast was so strong that it blew out the store’s windows, cracked and melted porcelain fixtures, and blew a door off of its hinges.  Thompson was apprehended after he was admitted to the hospital with burns consistent with the arson. 

This case was investigated by the Fairfax County Police Department, the Fairfax County Fire Marshal’s Office, and the ATF.  Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Rich and Zach Terwilliger prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.