USS Miami Sub Fire Suspect Now Faces 20 Years

Following Casey James Fury's guilty plea on Thursday to arson charges that set the USS Miami submarine on fire twice and caused $400 million in damages, the U.S. Attorney's office said he may face up to 20 years in prison and hefty fines.

News television station WGME in Portland, Maine reported that U.S. Attorney Thomas Delahunty said Fury, 24, could be sentenced to 15 to 19 years in federal prison and face fines up to $400 million toward the cost of repairing the U.S.S. Miami. Delahunty also told WGME that Fury will also have to pay restitution to the five first responders injured in the fire. 

Fury was employed as a painter and sandblaster at the shipyard until his arrest on July 23 and held at the Cumberland County Jail in Portsmouth without bail. Navy investigators said that Fury told them he set both fires to get out of work early. The USS Miami fire raged for 12 hours and dozens of Portsmouth area firefighters battled the blaze. Five firefighters were injured, but no one was killed.