A 21-year-old South Paris man was sentenced Friday to five years in federal prison for setting fire to a storage building owned by Dead River Co. that was destroyed in the blaze.
Daniel Thompson, who also used the surname Walker, was ordered to pay more $184,000 in restitution for the destruction of the building located at 16 Charles St. in South Paris, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland.
Thompson pleaded guilty in August to one count of maliciously damaging property used in interstate commerce by fire.
Dead River is a commercial petroleum supplier engaged in interstate commerce, which is why Thompson was charged in federal court, according to a press release issued by the federal prosecutors’ office.
By pleading guilty, Thompson admitted that on June 5, 2017, he broke into the two-story building that stored files, propane and heating oil tanks, and maintenance materials, according to court documents.
Thompson told investigators that he had used heroin a few hours before breaking a first-floor window to gain access to the building. He found a gas can inside the building and spread gasoline around the second floor before starting the blaze using his lighter.
Thompson faced between five and 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. In addition to prison time, Thompson was sentenced to three years of supervised release.