The criminal court process moves forward for the people accused of setting a Stockton business on fire in March.

FULL PRESS RELEASES

1)

 Matt J. Whitworth, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Stockton, Mo., woman and her son have pleaded guilty in federal court to their roles in an arson fire.

        Dina Larson, 39, of Stockton, and her son, Jacob Smith, 19, have pleaded guilty to the charge contained in an April 1, 2009, federal indictment. Larson pleaded guilty before U.S. District ! Judge Richard E. Dorr this morning; Smith pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009.

        Larson and Smith each admitted that, aiding and abetting one another, they destroyed the building at 600 West St., in Stockton, by means of fire and explosive materials. The property house! s the Cigarette Shack, Pappi’s Pizza and Movieland as well as a vacant business.

        On March 18, 2009, at approximately 4 a.m., Cedar County Deputy Sheriff Frank Brumfield, while fueling his vehicle, heard what he believed to be a heavy door slamming. Brumfield proceeded to the source of the sound and observed smoke emanating from the front of the vacant business.

        After the fire was extinguished, State Fire Marshal Investigator Bruce Thorlo conducted a fire scene investigation. It was immediately apparent that the fire had been intentionally set, according to today’s plea agreement, based upon the strong odor of a flammable liquid, the presence of multiple points of origin, pour patterns, and the discovery of three containers containing the remnants of a flammable liquid.

        The investigators were able to trace the point of sale of one of the fuel containers to a Lowe’s home improvement store in Springfield, Mo.  Lowe’s was able to provide the investigators with a video recording depicting Larson purchasing a can of kerosene on March 17, 2009. Lowe’s was able to produce the sales ticket documenting the sale of the can.

        The investigators then proceeded to a nearby Wal-Mart store. Wal-Mart security personnel were able to locate video footage showing Larson purchasing two cans of Coleman fuel, brown jersey gloves, black shirts, black winter hats, nylons, shoes, and other items.  Gloves of the same type purchased by Larson were recovered from the scene of the fire.

        On March 19, 2009, Smith approached investigators and acknowledged that it was he and his mother who set the fire. Larson admitted that she was promised a “big fat bank account” in exchange for setting the fire.

        Under federal statutes, Larson and Smith are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 and an order of restitution. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investiga! tion by the United States Probation Office.

        This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri Division of Fire Safety.

2)

Matt J. Whitworth, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that the owner of a business property in Stockton, Mo., has been indicted by a federal grand jury for additional crimes related to an arson fire at the building.

        Dan Thornton, 38, of El Dorado Springs, Mo., was charged in a three-count superseding indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Sept. 9, 2009.

        The superseding indictment replaces an April 1, 2009, indictment that alleges Thornton aided and abetted others to destroy the building at 600 West St., in Stockton, by means of fire and explosive materials. Thornton is the owner of the property, which houses the Cigarette Shack, Pappi’s Pizza and Movieland as well as a vacant business.

        In addition to the arson charge, the superseding indictment also charges Thornton with wire fraud and with a scheme to defraud his insurance company.

        According to the indictment, Thornton began discussing the possibility of burning down the business property in late 2008 or early 2009. Thornton, who borrowed $398,400 in November 2006 to launch the businesses, was delinquent with loan repayments on six occasions between December 2007 and February 2009.

        In March 2009, Thornton allegedly offered to pay a woman a share of the insurance proceeds if she burned down the building, and provided her with the keys to the building so that she could enter the building and start the fire. In the early morning hours of March 18, 2009, another person entered the building and set it afire using flammable materials. The fire was detected by a Cedar County Sheriff’s Deputy at approximately 4 a.m., who then summoned the local fire department. The building sustained significant damage. When Thornton was summoned to the scene of the fire, the indictment says, he opined that the fire was likely set by someone who “hated” him because of his sexual orientation.

        Later that day, Thornton visited the Stockton branch office of State Farm Fire and Casualty Company and reported the fire. While he was in the office, an agent placed a telephone call to another office in Tusla, Okla. During this phone call, Thornton described the damage to the building and to its contents, and made inquiries relating to collecting insurance proceeds, which forms the basis for th! e wire fraud charge.

        Whitworth cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

        This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri Division of Fire Safety.