Serial Arsonist Pleads Guilty
Tuesday February 28, 2023Contact: Julie Robinson, 208-334-4312
julie.robinson@doi.idaho.gov
BOISE, ID (February 28, 2023) – Ryan N. Greene of Priest River, Idaho pled guilty to six counts of third-degree felony arson on February 16, 2023. Greene was sentenced to concurrent five years of prison for each charge and five years indeterminate.
Mr. Greene was responsible for several fires that occurred in Bonner County in July and August 2022 at the height of wildfire season, according to Idaho State Fire Marshal Knute Sandahl. “Thanks to the rapid and effective response by the West Pend Oreille Fire District and others, a major inferno was averted,” said Sandahl.
As part of the plea deal, the U.S. government agreed not to bring separate federal charges in connection to the summer 2022 fires. Greene was ordered to pay restitution and court costs of $245.50 per case for a total of $1,473.
Investigators from the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office, Bonner County Sheriff, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Idaho Department of Lands collaborated over a two-month period to identify Greene as the perpetrator. Investigators quickly identified a pattern with the fires and ascertained that a serial arsonist was responsible. Hundreds of hours of collaborative work were invested by all investigators. The State Fire Marshal’s Office spent approximately 120 hours on the case, collaborating on video surveillance, stakeouts and other investigative techniques.
Vehicles connected to Greene were seen in the area of three of the fires, all determined to have been human-caused. During interviews with investigators, Mr. Greene admitted to using gasoline, diesel, and lighter fluid to start the fires.
“Anyone considering arson should know that we will investigate, and we will prosecute,” stated Sandahl. “Arson is harmful to our state and affects state resources. We are appreciative of all the other agencies who assisted us in bringing this individual to justice, and protecting Idahoans from devastating fires and those who start them.”
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About the Department of Insurance
The Idaho Department of Insurance has been regulating the business of insurance in Idaho since 1901. The mission of the Department is to serve and protect Idahoans by equitably, effectively and efficiently administering the Idaho Insurance Code and the International Fire Code. For more information, please visit us at doi.idaho.gov or email us at consumeraffairs@doi.idaho.gov.
About the State Fire Marshal
The State Fire Marshal’s Office participates in and coordinates an integrated statewide system designed to protect human life from fire and explosions through fire prevention, investigation and public education activities. The program involves fire prevention activities, fire/arson investigation, code enforcement and the operation of the National Fire Incident Reporting System. The State Fire Marshal’s Office provides assistance to local fire agencies throughout the state.