Leesville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Setting Wildfires in Kisatchie National Forest

LEESVILLE, Louisiana – On April 9, 2026, Clinton Nathaniel Johnson, a 37-year-old Leesville resident, was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison and immediately remanded to federal custody after previously pleading guilty to a felony for intentionally setting wildfires in the Kisatchie National Forest. In addition to his prison sentence, Johnson was ordered to pay $39,094 in restitution for fire response costs and will serve two years of supervised release following his release from federal prison.

“Wildfires pose a grave threat to life and property, and there must be consequences for anyone reckless enough to intentionally set them,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Our community is extremely fortunate that no injuries or property damage resulted from the 19 illegal fires set by Mr. Johnson, and we are grateful to our firefighters and first responders for their swift and effective actions. This case shows our Office’s commitment alongside our law enforcement partners to identify perpetrators of this reckless and dangerous crime and hold those perpetrators accountable with felony charges.”

The following photo depicts one of the fires that Mr. Johnson set:

Evidence presented in court showed that approximately 19 intentional fires were ignited in the Kisatchie National Forest between May and July 2025 that investigators linked to Johnson through patterns such as distinctive stormproof matches that were recovered at multiple scenes. Several of these fires burned significant portions of the Kisatchie, including three fires that separately consumed approximately 150 acres, 75 acres, and 35 acres. Thanks to the rapid response and coordinated efforts of federal and state fire personnel, all fires were contained without injury or structural damage.

In August 2025, federal and state agents executed a search warrant at Johnson’s residence. Agents located the same brand and type of stormproof matches recovered at the fire scenes during the search, and investigators also recovered video evidence showing Johnson purchasing the matches. Johnson later admitted to igniting the fires by throwing matches from his vehicle while traveling on roads through the forest.

The United States Forest Service investigated this case with assistance from the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Denise Duhon and Ginger Green.

U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 2:25-cr-00237-01.

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