GEORGIA (LOOTPRESS) – A man from Chatham County has been sentenced to five years in prison after admitting to setting a fire in a restaurant’s outdoor trash container.
Joshua Daryl McGregor , 34, from Savannah, received a 60-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to arson, according to Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also mandated that McGregor pay restitution for the damages caused by the fire and serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
There is no possibility of parole in the federal system. “Deliberately igniting a fire to damage or disrupt someone else’s property is unacceptable,” stated U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Joshua McGregor will have considerable time to think about his employment options after prison.”
Court documents and testimonies revealed that McGregor was an employee at the McDonald’s located at 2701 Montgomery Ave. in Savannah. In April 2023, feeling frustrated with the restaurant’s busy situation, he set a piece of cardboard on fire and threw it into the dumpster , which was filled with cardboard and other combustible materials, ensuring the fire started before he returned to the restaurant.
The fire grew so intense that customers in the drive-through had to leave the parking lot, and the restaurant had to temporarily close while the Savannah Fire Department managed the situation. McGregor, who recorded the fire on his cell phone, was captured on surveillance video starting the blaze. He was arrested by investigators from the Savannah Police Department and pled guilty to arson in U.S. District Court in May.
“Arson is a highly dangerous crime that not only destroys property but also puts firefighters, first responders, and the public at significant risk,” remarked Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Atlanta Field Division. “The ATF, in collaboration with Savannah Fire’s Arson Unit and other law enforcement agencies, is dedicated to ensuring community safety and holding those who commit such perilous acts accountable.”
Fred Anderson, chief investigator for the Savannah Fire Arson Unit, expressed gratitude for the ongoing cooperation with local and federal partners to effectively prosecute arson cases that impact interstate commerce in their area. “These collaborative efforts have contributed to making our community safer and significantly reducing arson incidents in the city.”
The investigation was carried out by the Savannah Fire Department, the Savannah Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Southern District of Georgia Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Makeia R. Jonese.
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