Savannah Man Indicted for the May 3 Code Compliance Building Fire
SAVANNAH, GA (Friday, July 10, 2020) – A U.S. District Court grand jury has indicted Stephen Charles Setter for the May 3 fire that destroyed the City of Savannah Code Compliance Building.
Setter, 18, of Savannah, was indicted on one count of Arson. The charge carries a possible sentence of five to 20 years, substantial financial fines and penalties, and up to five years of supervised release after completion of any prison term. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“Protection of life and property is paramount in our service to the community,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We are grateful that the exceptional efforts of the Savannah Fire Department safely secured the facility and surrounding structures from further harm, with no injuries to firefighters or other citizens.”
According to the indictment, Setter is alleged to have “maliciously damaged and destroyed, by means of fire,” the City of Savannah Code Compliance Office at 1700 Drayton Street on May 3, 2020.
“Through a collaborative effort with the ATF, we achieved a swift resolution to this devastating crime,” said Savannah Fire Department Chief Fire Investigator Fred Anderson.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Savannah Fire Department Arson Unit, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania D. Groover.
At 3:14 a.m., Sunday, May 3, the Savannah Fire Department was dispatched to a fire at the Code Compliance Building. A raging fire was already showing through the roof when firefighters arrived on scene. They battled the two alarm blaze for more than three hours, preventing it from spreading to neighboring structures.
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CODE COMPLIANCE FIRE INDICTMENT
WHAT: A U.S. District Court grand jury has indicted a Savannah man on one count of Arson
WHO: Stephen Charles Setter, 18
WHY: The indictment alleges Setter maliciously destroyed the City of Savannah Code Compliance Building by fire on May 3, 2020
About The Savannah Fire Department:
Savannah’s first fire company was organized in 1759. It became the nation’s first fully mechanized fire department in 1911. Today the Savannah Fire Department is a progressive, future-focused organization comprised of 318 professional, fully-trained career firefighters. The department operates 15 fire stations in a service area comprised of more than 108 square miles.
121 East Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah, Ga. 31401/912-644-5957/www.savannahfire.org
Jenel Few, PIO
Savannah Fire Department
Office: 912-644-5957
Cell: 912-210-3393
jfew@savannahga.gov