The Brief
66-year-old Viorel Pricop has been found guilty of arson, according to officials with the United States Attorney's Office.
Pricop, who has been in federal custody since 2022, was accused of setting fire to semi-truck trailers in Arizona.
The 66-year-old was previously found guilty of setting fire to trailers in other states.
PHOENIX - Federal officials say a 66-year-old Michigan man has been convicted of setting fire to semi-truck trailers in Arizona.
What we know
According to a statement released on Aug. 28, Viorel Pricop was found guilty of three counts of arson of a vehicle or property in interstate commerce. The guilty verdict was rendered by a federal jury the week prior.
"Pricop has been in federal custody since October 2022," read a portion of the statement.
The backstory
Per federal officials, evidence presented during Pricop's eight-day trial show that he set fire to three semi-truck trailers within Arizona that belonged to a Phoenix-based trucking company named Swift Transportation, as part of a "larger pattern of arsons targeting Swift."
Investigators said two of the three incidents mentioned above happened in Willcox, while the other incident happened in Holbrook.
"In each of the incidents, the Swift-owned trailer was parked at or near a truck stop when Pricop set a fire on or near the trailer tires," investigators wrote.
Officials with the U.S. Attorney's office also said that Pricop was tied to other incidents.
"According to other evidence presented at trial, Pricop set at least 16 additional Swift Transportation semi-trailers on fire in multiple states between October 2021 and September 2022. These arsons occurred at locations spanning Barstow, California to McCalla, Alabama, with most occurring along Interstate 10 and Interstate 40," read a portion of the statement. "Federal criminal charges associated with some of the fires were filed against Pricop in several districts, and were the basis of a 2024 criminal trial in the Central District of California, where Pricop was found guilty of six arsons."
Prosecutors also state that a gash torch, lighters, and fuel-soaked rags were found in Pricop's vehicle.
Dig deeper
According to an Associated Press article in October 2022, Pricop was previously convicted in Michigan for transporting stolen goods, and was sentenced to two years in prison. Prosecutors at the time said Swift cooperated in the investigation and prosecution of that case.
What's next
Officials said a sentencing hearing for Pricop is scheduled to take place on Nov. 13, where he will "face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison for each count."
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