A man has been indicted on an arson charge, accused of starting multiple fires at a hotel near Ferguson, Missouri, last month. Brandon Dallas Smith, 40, is alleged to have set the fires on March 26, 2025, at a hotel located in the 2700 block of Target Drive.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis, hotel guests were awakened by a fire alarm at 2:48 a.m., leading them to discover two fires in front of hotel rooms and another in the second-floor stairwell. The complaint also suggests that Smith purchased gasoline from a nearby gas station shortly before arriving at the hotel to start the fires.
Authorities point out that a charge mentioned in an indictment or complaint is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. "Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty."
If convicted, Smith faces a minimum of five years in prison and could be fined up to $250,000. The investigation involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Louis County Police Department, and the St. Louis County Bomb and Arson Squad. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is in charge of prosecuting the case.
