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A former school professor who specialised in social deviancy was sentenced on Thursday to greater than 5 years in jail for beginning 4 fires in 2021, a few of which threatened to lure firefighters as they responded to one of many largest wildfires in California historical past, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Jap District of California mentioned.
Gary Stephen Maynard, 49, pleaded responsible in February to 3 counts of arson on federal property after he set fires behind crews battling the Dixie Fireplace, which turned the second-biggest wildfire in California historical past, scorching greater than 1,500 sq. miles and destroying greater than 1,000 buildings.
Maynard, of San Jose, admitted to beginning 4 fires: the Cascade and Everitt fires on July 20 and 21, and the Ranch and Conard Fires on Aug. 7. He pleaded responsible to 3 as a part of a plea deal and was jailed for 63 months in complete. The fires have been extinguished earlier than they might destroy any buildings, in response to prosecutors.
DIXIE FIRE BECOMES LARGEST SINGLE WILDFIRE IN CALIFORNIA HISTORY
Gary Stephen Maynard was sentenced on Thursday to 5 years and three months in jail for beginning 4 California wildfires in 2021, (Gary Stephen Maynard )
“Maynard went on an arson spree on federal land whereas California confronted one of many worst fireplace seasons in historical past,” U.S. Legal professional Phillip Talbert introduced.
“He deliberately made a harmful scenario extra perilous by setting a few of his fires behind the women and men combating the Dixie fireplace, doubtlessly slicing off any probability of escape. It is just due to the short response by the U.S. Forest Service — and the actions of civilian witnesses — that these fires have been extinguished as shortly as they have been.”
Forest Service brokers began investigating Maynard on July 20 after the Cascade Fireplace was reported on the western slopes of Mount Shasta.
An investigator discovered Maynard beneath his black Kia Soul that had its entrance wheels caught in a ditch and its undercarriage centered on a boulder, courtroom papers mentioned. He was residing out of his automobile on the time.
EX-PROFESSOR CHARGED WITH STARTING FOUR CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
A firefighter sprays water alongside Freeway 89 close to South Lake Tahoe, in California on Sept. 2, 2021. (AP Picture/Jae C. Hong)
A second fireplace erupted the following day on Mount Shasta, and investigators later discovered tire tracks just like these made by the Kia.
They ultimately positioned a monitoring gadget below Maynard’s automotive which confirmed he had traveled to the world the place the Ranch and Conard Fires erupted within the Lassen Nationwide Forest.
Assistant U.S. Legal professional Michael Anderson wrote in a detention memo that Maynard had entered the evacuation zone and “started setting fires behind the primary responders combating the Dixie Fireplace.”
In sentencing memorandums, Maynard’s legal professional mentioned her shopper was affected by untreated and important psychological well being points when he set the fires and has sought therapy since then.
Maynard was an adjunct college member at Santa Clara College from September 2019 to December 2020 and he had additionally taught criminology and sociology at Chapman and Sonoma State Universities, the New York Occasions reviews, citing prosecutors. He specialised in felony justice, cults and deviant conduct.
A Santa Clara College colleague of Maynard’s instructed the police in October 2020 that Maynard was fighting anxiousness, melancholy, cut up character and wished to kill himself, the grievance mentioned, per the New York Occasions.
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Scorched vehicles and timber after a wildfire in Plumas County, California, in 2021. (AP Picture/Noah Berger)
Maynard was additionally sentenced to 3 years of supervised launch and ordered to pay $13,081 in restitution as a part of the plea settlement.
The Dixie Fireplace started on July 13, 2021, with fireplace ultimately scorching the Plumas Nationwide Forest, Lassen Nationwide Forest and Butte, Lassen, Plumas and Tehama counties.
The hearth value greater than $610 million over three months to deliver it below management, the costliest in California historical past, in response to the pinnacle of Cal Fireplace.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
Michael Dorgan is a author for Fox Information Digital and Fox Enterprise.
You possibly can ship tricks to [email protected] and comply with him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
Ex-criminology professor jailed for five years for ‘arson spree’ throughout Dixie Fires
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