A Chatham County man, previously employed by a local McDonald's, has been sentenced to a five-year federal prison term for committing arson. The act of lighting a fire in the fast food restaurant's dumpster caused temporary closure of the establishment, as announced by U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg.
Joshua Daryl McGregor, 34, of Savannah, also faces three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution. Severely frustrated by the busy state of the restaurant during his shift in April 2023, McGregor ignited a piece of cardboard and threw it into the dumpster, packed with flammable material, and filmed the resulting fire on his cell phone.
In a statement made by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia, Steinberg condemned the deliberate act, stating, "Intentionally setting a fire in an effort to shut down or damage someone else’s property is inexcusable." McGregor's actions forced patrons to hastily retreat from the drive-through as firefighters rushed to quell the flames that threatened their safety.
Caught on surveillance video, McGregor's arrest followed an investigation led by the Savannah Fire Department, the Savannah Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Atlanta Field Division, emphasized the inherent violence of arson, jeopardizing not only property but lives as well, stressing that those who commit these dangerous acts are held accountable.
Committed to prosecuting crimes affecting interstate commerce, Chief Investigator Fred Anderson from the Savannah Fire Arson Unit appreciated the joint effort aimed at enhancing community safety and minimizing such destructive incidents. The cooperation evident in bringing McGregor to justice mirrored the community and federal resolve to address crimes that disturb public peace and order.
