A former hotel employee has been sentenced to a two-year prison term for setting fires at the Marriott St. Louis Airport, actions she took after her termination from the role of housekeeper. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of Missouri, 26-year-old Ramona Cook was also handed down three years of supervised release and mandated to pay $119,067 in restitution for the damages caused.
The incidents in question occurred on December 22nd, 2022, when Cook, after her employment ended, instigated multiple fires within the hotel premises. The conflagration that ensued prompted an evacuation of the property, activation of the sprinkler system, and consequential financial losses. Cook initially resisted leaving the hotel when fired, until police intervention was required to remove her from the premises. It was later that evening, around 5 p.m., that she came back and ignited fires across different locations of the hotel.
In August, Cook pleaded guilty to a felony charge for her actions, specifically "use of a facility of interstate commerce with intent to commit a crime of violence." The case was placed under the investigatory eye of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen. U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk delivered the sentencing on Friday.
