Jacksonville, Florida - U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Pedro Sanchez (35, Plant City) to five years in federal prison for arson. The court also ordered Sanchez to pay $15,000 in restitution.
Sanchez was found guilty on Jan. 3, 2019, following a bench trial.
According to court documents, on Jan. 10, 2018, Sanchez set fire to a house located at 8579 Lamanto Avenue North in Jacksonville. The house belonged to his employer, and the employer had assigned Sanchez to renovate the house and prepare it for sale. Eyewitnesses observed Sanchez walking away from the house after it had erupted into flames. Sanchez later admitted to law enforcement that he had set the house on fire.
This case was investigated by the Florida Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Washington and Frank Talbot.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods" Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety - one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
