A Cherry Hill man, Ramiz Duka, was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in directing an arson that caused over $6 million in damages and seriously injured a firefighter. As per the announcement by Acting United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the sentencing by United States District Court Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge also included three years of supervised release and a restitution order of $6,158,686.84.
Duka, 62, was found guilty at trial on October 30, 2024, of conspiracy to commit malicious damage by means of fire to a building used in interstate commerce. The trial unearthed that Duka had recruited two men, paying them $15,000 to set the warehouse at 1388 Bridgewater Road in Bensalem, Pa., ablaze. The co-conspirators meticulously planned to carry out the arson over several weeks.
The execution of the plot resulted in tragedy on December 10, 2022, when the set fire engulfed the building. One firefighter was left gravely injured after a ladder collapsed during fire suppression efforts. "Ramiz Duka orchestrated this arson plot and set it in motion with no regard for the unpredictable nature of fire, the potential for the flames to spread, or the risks facing first responders reporting to fight the blaze," Acting U.S. Attorney Thayer said in a statement.
Arson, a crime with potentially devastating effects, was brought to the forefront in this case by the serious injury of a firefighter on duty. Special Agent in Charge of the ATF's Philadelphia Field Division, Eric DeGree, emphasized on the dangers arsonists like Duka pose to the community. "I thank the Bensalem Township Police and Fire-Rescue, U.S. Attorney’s Office and other partners who are helping the ATF-led Philadelphia Arson and Explosives Task Force seek justice and keep our communities safe from dangerous arsonists like Ramiz Duka," DeGree told the press. The investigation, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bensalem Police Department, was aided notably by the Bensalem Township Fire Rescue and the volunteer firefighter companies from the surrounding areas.
