The incident was captured on surveillance video, leading to McGregor’s arrest.
A McDonald’s restaurant employee, Joshua Daryl McGregor, was sentenced to five years in prison after intentionally burning down the restaurant in April 2023 in Savannah, Georgia. Frustrated by the influx of customers, McGregor set fire to a piece of cardboard and threw it into a bin full of flammable items outside the restaurant.
According to a release by U.S. Attorney’s Office, the fire became so intense that customers in the drive-through lane had to leave the parking lot, and the restaurant was forced to briefly close while the Savannah Fire Department put out the blaze. McGregor, who filmed the fire with his cellphone, was identified in surveillance video as the fire starter. He was arrested by Savannah Police Department investigators and in May pleaded guilty to arson in U.S. District Court.
“Intentionally setting fire in an effort to enclose or damage another person’s property is inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Joshua McGregor will have plenty of time to consider his post-prison employment options.”
“Arson is an extremely violent crime that not only destroys property, but also puts firefighters, first responders and the general public at great risk,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Atlanta Field Division. “ATF, along with Savannah Fire’s Arson Unit and our other law enforcement partners, are committed to ensuring that our communities are safe and that those who commit these dangerous acts are held accountable.”
“The Savannah Fire Arson Unit greatly appreciates our continued ability to work with our local and federal partners to successfully prosecute arson fires affecting interstate commerce in our jurisdiction,” said Fred Anderson, chief investigator for the Arson Unit. Savannah Fire. “These collaborative efforts have continued to help make our community safer and significantly reduce arson across the city.”
The case was investigated by the Savannah Fire Department, the Savannah Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted in the United States by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, Makeia R Jonese.
This story originally appeared on Ndtv.com read the full story
