A Chatham County man, Marvin Antwon Williams, has been sentenced to serve nearly 13 years in the federal prison system following a series of arson attacks in Savannah, Georgia. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia, Williams, 44, from Savannah, pled guilty to an arson charge and has been ordered by U.S District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker to spend 151 months behind bars with an additional three-year supervised release period. Upon completion of his prison sentence, it was noted by the court that Williams would not be eligible for parole.
Williams was described as having stayed in a residence undergoing renovations without the owner’s consent where multiple fires were set on April 10, 2022. After the Savannah Fire Department addressed the initial fire on the home's front porch roof, they were called back to the vicinity to tackle another fire nearby, only to be alerted to yet another fire at the same house, a home that Williams claimed as an unauthorized sanctuary. Williams, whose sentencing took into account a considerable criminal past including violent and drug-related offenses, has been designated a career offender.
“Fires in an urban area are highly dangerous and potentially devastating to nearby residents,” U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg was quoted in court documents. She highlighted the Savannah Fire Department's prompt action that held further damage at bay. “Fortunately, the Savannah Fire Department’s fast response prevented greater harm, and Marvin Williams is now being held accountable for his criminal acts.” Steinberg stated.
While preventing greater harm, “Arson is an extremely violent crime that not only destroys property but also places firefighters, first responders, and the public at great risk,” as observed by Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' Atlanta Field Office.
The collaborative efforts of ATF and the Savannah Fire Department Arson Unit were key to the investigation's success. Chief Investigator Fred Anderson expressed his department's gratitude: “The Savannah Fire Arson Unit would like to thank the ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s office for their assistance in this investigation,” he said.. “Arson is a serious crime that affects the entire community. I’m happy that we were able to remove this arsonist from the community and ensure he will not be able to set any more fires and put more lives in danger.” The investigation, led jointly by these agencies, culminated in the successful prosecution of Williams by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Z. Spitulnik.
