Man sentenced to five years in prison after setting an outdoor trash container on fire

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - According to the United States Department of Justice, in April of 2023 34-year-old Joshua Daryl McGregor started a dumpster fire that temporarily shut down a restaurant.

Officials say McGregor, an employee of McDonald’s at 2701 Montgomery Avenue in Savannah, became frustrated because the restaurant was very busy.

They say he lit a piece of cardboard on fire and threw it into a dumpster of other flammable materials. The fire became very intense and the restaurant had to close while the Savannah Fire Department put out the flame.

Officials say McGregor filmed the fire on his device and was later identified on surveillance for starting the fire.

Following the incident, McGregor pled guilty to arson in U.S District court.

He was sentenced to five years in prison. Along with his sentence U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood ordered McGregor to pay restitution for property lost in the fire and serve three years of supervised release after the completion of his prison term.