A former school prison justice teacher pleaded responsible Thursday to 3 counts of arson, together with for igniting wildfires in 2021 behind firefighters who had been already battling one of many largest California blazes.
Gary Stephen Maynard, 49, admitted to setting 4 fires in the summertime of 2021, in response to the U.S. lawyer’s workplace: the Cascade fireplace, the Everitt fireplace, the Ranch fireplace and the Conard fireplace.
Though he had been initially suspected of igniting different fires — together with the Bradley fireplace that burned greater than 300 acres — the 4 fires Maynard admitted to setting remained small.
Maynard had initially denied setting the fires, however entered the responsible plea Thursday as a part of an settlement with federal prosecutors. The San Jose resident had initially been charged with 4 counts of arson; as a part of the settlement, he pleaded responsible to 3 of them and agreed to pay $500,000 in restitution.
Courtroom paperwork accused the 49-year-old educational of happening “an arson-setting spree” in the summertime of 2021 whereas firefighters from a number of companies had been combating the Dixie fireplace, which scorched 963,309 acres throughout 5 counties.
Maynard taught briefly at Sonoma State and Santa Clara College. His lawyer didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The Dixie fireplace had been burning for seven days when, on July 20, 2021, an investigator first got here throughout Maynard, who was about 200 yards from what would later be known as the Cascade fireplace.
Maynard was discovered underneath his automobile, a black Kia Soul. The investigator requested Maynard to face up. Maynard then “mumbled one thing about being a professor” and instructed the investigators he didn’t know something concerning the fires, courtroom paperwork say.
Based on the plea deal, the investigator famous that Maynard “was agitated throughout his encounter.”
One other witness reported seeing the previous professor stroll away from his automobile for about 10 minutes, then observing smoke rising from a brand new fireplace close by.
The next day, firefighters noticed a 50-foot-wide fireplace within the Shasta-Trinity Nationwide Forest. An investigator decided the reason for that blaze, dubbed the Everitt fireplace, was arson.
Tire marks noticed on the scene appeared to match the tire impressions made by Maynard’s automobile close to the Cascade fireplace, courtroom paperwork mentioned, and cell website information indicated that he had camped in a single day within the space on the time.
Investigators started to comply with Maynard’s actions, utilizing a tracker put in on his automobile by way of a federal search warrant.
On Aug. 7, 2021, investigators tracked his automobile to an remoted a part of Lassen Nationwide Forest that had been closed off from the general public as a result of Dixie fireplace.
Maynard reportedly stayed within the space for about 28 hours, and after he left a Forest Service particular agent noticed a big column of smoke coming from the forest. The blaze was later named the Ranch fireplace.
In courtroom information, Maynard additionally admitted to setting the Conard fireplace, a second Aug. 7 blaze within the Lassen Nationwide Forest.
He was taken into custody the identical day after he tried to drive again to the world of the fires.
Based on courtroom information, Maynard lied about his location the earlier night time, contradicting information from the tracker on his automobile that investigators had already collected.
Maynard can also be believed to have been within the space of the Moon fireplace when it began, in response to courtroom information.
Inside his automobile, officers discovered lighters and digital gadgets that, in response to courtroom information, had audio and video recordings of Maynard speaking about committing arson, and the sound of matches being struck.
Maynard had additionally searched on-line to trace the progress of the Dixie fireplace, together with space closures the place firefighters had been focusing their efforts, courtroom information say.
He’s scheduled to be sentenced Might 9.
