Lee County Man Indicted On Arson Charges

A volunteer fireman from southwest Virginia has been indicted on 14 counts of arson in Lee County.

Jason David Nichols, of Blackwater, was charged with seven counts of woods arson, six counts of structure arson, and one count of a vehicle fire. The Lee County Grand Jury indicted the 21-year-old on all charges.

The fires occurred between November 8, 2005 and March 5, 2006. Approximately 56 acres were burned, and three houses, three barns and a vehicle were lost as a result of Nichols actions. William Neff and David Edwards, investigators with the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF), and Joe Daniels of the Virginia State Police interrogated Nichols, who confessed to the charges.

"Woodland arson is a problem in the state, and the fires threaten property and personal safety," said Regional Forester Ed Stoots. "Setting fire to a building or other property increases the risk that a loss of life could result in addition to property damage. Since arsonists normally set fires in their local areas, the watchful eye of the public is vital to our investigations."

Each of the seven Class 6 felonies is punishable with confinement of up to five years, and each of the five Class 4 felonies is punishable with confinement between two and ten years. The Class 1 misdemeanor carries a twelve month maximum prison sentence; an additional felony is punishable with a five-year minimum jail term.

-end-

The Virginia Department of Forestry protects and develops healthy, sustainable forest resources for Virginians. Headquartered in Charlottesville, there are Forestry staff members assigned to every county to provide service to citizens of the Commonwealth. VDOF is an equal opportunity provider.

With nearly 16 million acres of forest land and more than 248,000 Virginians employed in the forest products industry, Virginia forests provide more than $30 billion annually in benefits to the Commonwealth.