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GTG
Was lost but now am found
Joined: 30 Dec 2002
Posts: 2387
Location: Peoria, Arizona, originally from Rocket City, USA
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 Posted: 10/20/2003, 2:20 pm Post subject: Firefighter pleads guilty in state's largest wildfire |
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From the Arizona Republic today -
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1020wildfire-plea-ON.html
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Firefighter pleads guilty in state's largest wildfire
Dave Cruz / Arizona Republic file photo
Leonard Gregg, seen here leaving the Flagstaff Federal Courthouse two summers ago, could face up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in January.
Michelle Rushlo
Associated Press
Oct. 20, 2003 12:25 PM
A part-time wildlands firefighter accused of starting half of the largest wildfire in Arizona history pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of intentionally setting a fire.
Leonard Gregg, 31, could face up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 12 in U.S. District Court.
Gregg admitted Monday to starting half of the Rodeo-Chediski fire on June 18, 2002. The fire burned 469,000 acres of private, Forest Service and Fort Apache Reservation land in eastern Arizona before it was contained. Hundreds of homes were destroyed and 30,000 people were forced to evacuate.
Before starting the Rodeo fire, Gregg started a fire closer to the town of Cibecue, hoping to be called to fight the blaze, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent Kirby. Gregg had worked part-time as a Bureau of Indian Affairs firefighter, earning $8 an hour.
He was not called to the fire, which was contained at one acre, so he went about two miles outside town to start the second fire, Kirby said.
Gregg pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Judge James Teilborg, answering only "yes" or "no" to a series of questions and requiring an Apache translator at one point.
After the court hearing, Deborah Euler-Ajayi, Gregg's attorney, said Gregg had wanted to plead guilty for some time, but she wanted to be sure he was mentally competent to make that decision.
Gregg spent about six months at a mental health facility in North Carolina.
He made no plea agreement to reduce the possible charges or sentence before pleading.
"He wanted to get it over with, get this behind him, serve his time and make his public apologies," said Euler-Ajayi.
She had previously argued that Gregg was not mentally competent to stand trial, noting that he suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome.
Kirby said it was clear from the beginning that Gregg knew what he had done, noting that Gregg tried to apologize shortly after his arrest but a federal magistrate cut him off.
Kirby said he'll likely ask for the full sentence - five years on each count - and a $500,000 fine. He'll also push for restitution, which could run in the range of $50 million.
The other half of the Rodeo-Chediski fire was set by Valinda Jo Elliott, a woman who was lost on the reservation for two days before she saw a television news helicopter. She set the fire to get the crew's attention.
Federal prosecutors declined to prosecute Elliott, saying there was insufficient evidence of criminal intent on her part.
But the White Mountain Apache Tribe filed a civil suit against her in tribal court for starting the blaze.
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Daryl
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1168
Location: Everett, Washington
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| Posted: 10/20/2003, 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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I find it amazing forest fire fighters only make $8/hour on the indian reservation!
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