LENNIE BROWN, age 23, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday to 60 months of incarceration by United States District Court Judge Susie Morgan for two arsons that were committed in Gentilly in 2010, announced U. S. Attorney Dana J. Boente.
BROWN had previously pleaded guilty to two arson counts, one count of conspiracy to commit arson, conspiracy to use a destructive device, possession of a destructive device, and manufacturing a destructive device on May 11, 2011.
The Fuel Zone gas station/convenience store was the victim of two separate acts of arson in June of 2010. According to court documents, Larry Moses offered BROWN $1,500.00 cash to maliciously start a fire inside the store. On the evening of June 5, 2010, Moses and BROWN purchased a plastic squeeze bottle and filled it with gasoline. Moses and BROWN then drove their vehicle to a parking lot adjacent to the Fuel Zone. Before entering the Fuel Zone store, BROWN called Moses’ cell phone so that Moses, who remained in the getaway vehicle, could hear what was happening while BROWN was inside the store. Surveillance video showed BROWN, wearing a motorcycle helmet to disguise his identity, entered the store and proceeded to spray gasoline onto contents of shelves down one of the store aisles. BROWN started the fire using a lighter and exited the store as the fire erupted. BROWN ran back to the getaway vehicle and Moses quickly drove away from the scene.
In the days following the June 5th arson, Moses informed BROWN that he would not be paid until he committed a second more destructive fire at the Fuel Zone store but increased his offer to $3,000.00. BROWN then hired Michael Collins to assist him in a second act of arson. Moses instructed BROWN that for this second arson, the fire should be started near the store’s cash register area.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
