A man is facing life in prison after allegedly causing approximately $400 million in damages to a Navy submarine by setting fires, twice, because he wanted to go home early each time, as reported by Yahoo News from Portland, Maine.
C.F., a civilian employee hired as a painter and sandblaster, allegedly suffers with anxiety.
C.F. is facing two counts of arson for setting the fires on, or near, the USS Miami. The nuclear-powered attack submarine was in dry dock, according to Navy investigators, when C.F., 24, set the fires on May 23 and June 16.
According to investigators, C.F. said that he was taking medications for anxiety and depression at the time that he set the fires. The 7-page affidavit, filed in U.S. District Court in Portland, states, "The reason he set the fire was in order to get out of work. (C.F.) further explained to (the examiner) that he had failed to admit his involvement...because he was scared and because everything was blurry to him and his memory was impacted due to his anxiety and the medication he was taking at the time."
While in dry dock at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, awaiting an overhaul, a fire broke out on May 23 that damaged the torpedo room and command area.
The May 23 fire required 12 hours to knock down completely.
The second arson, on June 16, shows no damage or injuries and occurred on the dry dock cradle where the Miami rests.
An affidavit prepared by NCIS agent Jeremy Gauthier states that C.F. originally denied setting the fires in the days that followed the incidents. Later C.F. admitted to agent Gauthier that his former girlfriend had sent him a text message, about a new man she was seeing, and the anxiety over the text propelled him to start the second fire.
On June 16 C.F. allegedly set alcohol wipes on fire just outside the USS Miami, again so that he could go home.
C.F. admitted to setting the earlier blaze after failing a polygraph test. The examiner, T.B., told C.F. that his answers were not truthful when asked about setting the fire. According to T.B., C.F.'s "anxiety started getting really bad" before he grabbed some cigarettes, a lighter and some rags to start a fire on a top bunk. Then he returned to work.
Agent Gauthier stated that C.F. told him that he was taking four medications at the time of the fires: three for anxiety, depression and sleep and the fourth for his allergies.
The affidavit states that C.F. checked himself into an in-patient mental health facility in the days following the second fire, but failed to remain at the facility after two days.
If either charge results in a conviction, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, C.F. could get life in prison, be fined up to $250,000 and be ordered to pay restitution.
If you have been charged with a crime, whether you were ill or healthy at the time contact a criminal defense attorney for help. Your attorney will know the best way to proceed.
