ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has
been sentenced in federal court to 10 years in jail on his conviction of
malicious destruction of property by fire, United States Attorney Scott W.
Brady announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the
sentence on Tony Crawford, 35.
According to information presented to the court, in the
early morning hours of February 5, 2016, authorities were alerted to a raging
fire at Fred’s Bed’s and Furniture located about six blocks south of the
federal courthouse in Erie. The building
was completely destroyed within minutes.
Investigators quickly determined that the fire was an arson after
surveillance video from the area depicted an individual carrying a ladder to
the store and then running away from the store once the fire started. Ultimately, attention turned to Crawford
after several people came forward to reveal that Crawford had talked about
setting the Fred's Beds fire. The ATF
then conducted an analysis of Crawford's cell phone location that placed
Crawford's phone in close proximity to Fred's Beds at the time of the fire.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold
prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Brady commended the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the
Erie Police Department and the Erie Fire Department for the investigation
leading to the successful prosecution of Crawford.
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