A former volunteer firefighter in Maryland was found guilty of setting fire to empty homes

One of the former volunteer firefighters in Maryland who was accused of working with other firefighters and civilians to set fires in empty homes in Prince George’s County in 2019 and 2020 has been given a sentence.

A news release from the Office of the State’s Attorney says that Jeremy Hawkins planned with four other West Lanham Hills Volunteer Firefighters and two men from outside the department to set fire to four empty homes.

On each of the two counts against him, he was given a 15-year sentence, but the judge let him off with just time served. Hawkins will have to do 120 hours of community service and be on probation for the next three years.

Hawkins plotted with Jay St. John, Cole Vazquez, George Smith, and Nicholas Holzberger, all of whom were firefighters, as well as with Giancarolo Reyes and Francis Ortiz Oro, who were not firefighters.

The fires were started between December 1, 2019 and January 31, 2020, when Hawkins and the other firefighters would be on duty and in areas where the volunteer fire department would lead the response.

When the fires happened, the homes were empty, so no one was hurt.