Cherry Creek Man Indicted on Arson Charge
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Cherry Creek, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Arson.
Joshua Adams Hale, age 29, was indicted on March 9, 2020. He waived his personal appearance on March 26, 2020, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 25 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, 4 years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on January 9, 2020, at Cherry Creek, in Ziebach County, South Dakota, Hale willfully and maliciously set fire to and burned a building, namely, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapel. The chapel was completely destroyed by the fire.
The charge is merely an accusation and Hale is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Hale was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
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