Idaho Residents Sentenced in Arson Case

Two Twin Falls, Idaho, men have been sentenced to lengthy jail
terms for their participation in an arson case, the state Department of Insurance reported.

In February, 2008, Jerome County Sheriff’s Department found a burning vehicle belonging to Spencer Jay Maschek, 39. Maschek denied knowing that his vehicle was missing and subsequently filed a claim with his insurance company. Farm Bureau Insurance contacted the Department of Insurance about the suspicious nature of the
claim.

Twin Falls Police Department discovered that Maschek had asked Patrick Anthony Morrissey, 23, to set the vehicle on fire. Department of Insurance Investigator Jan Heinz gathered information and assisted Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Department and Farm Bureau Insurance in the investigation.

Arson and Conspiracy to Commit Arson are felonies punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a $100,000.00 fine.

Morrissey was found guilty of two felony charges, Conspiracy to Commit Arson in the First Degree and Arson in the First Degree. He was sentenced August 5, 2008, to 15 years, five years fixed, for each crime. The sentences will run consecutively. Morrissey was also ordered to pay restitution. Maschek pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Arson, a felony. He was sentenced Jan. 12, 2009, to eight years in prison, four years fixed.

Source: DOI