HAZLEHURST, GA (WTOC) -
On Thursday, Leon Buu Dam, 48, a naturalized American citizen from South Vietnam, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Lisa Godbey Wood to two charges relating to the firebombing of Cindy Nails, a business operating on South Tallahassee Street in Hazlehurst. The bombing resulted in the loss of over $21,000 in contents.
"Whatever his motive, firebombing a commercial business is never the solution. At a minimum, this Defendant now faces a 15 - year prison sentence. It is unfortunate that he will now be forced to surrender the rights that he earned on his quest for citizenship. His arson days are now extinguished," United States Attorney Edward J. Tarver stated in a press release.
Evidence showed that Cindy Nails caught fire just after business hours on Dec. 7, 2010. The fire destroyed the interior of the building and all of the contents inside. A ball-style trailer hitch, an alarm clock, and a bundle of matches wrapped in duct tape, along with evidence of a flammable accelerant, were discovered by investigators. The investigation revealed that Dam purchased a trailer hitch and alarm clock, just like the ones investigators found in the business, along with a quart of Coleman kerosene, at a nearby Walmart a few weeks earlier. Surveillance video from nearby businesses on the night of the incident show Dam and his vehicle at the business.
Dam is now facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. According to Tarver, there is no parole in the federal system. Dam is currently in the custody of the United States Marshal.
The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, the Georgia State Fire Marshal, and the Hazlehurst Fire Department.
Copyright 2013 WTOC. All rights reserved.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WTOC, a Raycom Media Station.
