Chatham County man sentenced to federal prison for lighting dumpster fire that temporarily closed a restaurant

BRUNSWICK, GA: A Chatham County man was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to setting a fire in a restaurant's outdoor trash container.

Joshua Daryl McGregor, 34, of Savannah, was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to Arson, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered McGregor to pay restitution for property lost in the fire, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.

There is no parole in the federal system.

"Intentionally setting a fire in an effort to shut down or damage someone else's property is inexcusable," said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. "Joshua McGregor will have substantial time to ponder his post-prison employment options."

As described in court documents and testimony, McGregor was an employee of the McDonald's at 2701 Montgomery Ave. in Savannah, and in April 2023 was frustrated because the restaurant was very busy. He lit a piece of cardboard on fire and tossed it into the restaurant's dumpster, which was full of cardboard and other flammable materials, and ensured the fire ignited before returning to the restaurant.

The fire became so intense that customers in the drive-through lane had to back out of the parking lot, and the restaurant was forced to briefly close while the Savannah Fire Department extinguished the blaze. McGregor, who filmed the fire with his cell phone, was identified on surveillance video as starting the fire. He was arrested by Savannah Police Department investigators, and in May pled guilty to arson in U.S. District Court.

"Arson is an extremely violent crime that not only destroys property but also places firefighters, first responders and the general public at great risk," said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Atlanta Field Division. "The ATF, along with the Savannah Fire's Arson Unit and our other law enforcement partners, are committed to ensuring that our communities are safe and that those who commit these dangerous acts are held accountable."

"Savannah Fire's Arson Unit greatly appreciates our continued ability to work with our local and federal partners to successfully prosecute arson that effects interstate commerce in our jurisdiction," said Fred Anderson, chief investigator for the Savannah Fire Arson Unit. "These efforts made as a partnership have continued to help make our community safer and greatly reduce the act of arson throughout the city."

The case was investigated by the Savannah Fire Department, the Savannah Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Makeia R. Jonese.

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