Germantown Man Sentenced to Five Years of Federal Imprisonment for Arson

Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Richard Sniezak, 21, to 60 months in federal prison for arson. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.

According to information presented in court, in April 2024, the Germantown Police and Fire Department began investigating a series of vandalisms and arsons within the city of Germantown, TN. Sniezak was identified as a suspect through a confidential informant and past encounters with the Germantown Fire Department. On April 5, 2024, Sniezak shattered several windows with a glass-breaking device at 1325 Wolf Park Drive, Suite 101 (Wolf River Surgery Center) and ignited a fire in one of the business' offices. During the early morning hours of April 14, 2024, Sniezak shattered an exterior glass door at 1374 Cordova Cove, entered the office building, and shattered additional glass doors to gain access to different areas. Sniezak then ignited fires on the ground and second-story floors, which ultimately burned a hole through the second-story floor.

In April 2025, Sniezak pled guilty to arson.  On July 23, 2025, United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Sniezak to 60 months of federal imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. 

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), and investigators with the Germantown Police and Fire Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

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