A former criminal justice professor has pleaded guilty to federal arson charges for setting multiple fires in northern California.
Gary Maynard, 49, admitted to setting multiple fires in the Shasta Trinity and Lassen National Forest during a major wildfire in 2021, according to federal prosecutors.
On Thursday, he pleaded guilty to three counts of arson on federal land.
“Maynard effectively surrounded firefighters as they were actively battling the Dixie Fire, one of the largest wildfires in California history, and started fires behind them,” prosecutors said.
The Dixie Fire, which flared up in northern California during the summer and fall of 2021, was one of the worst wildfires the state had ever seen.
Maynard, who previously taught at Santa Clara University and Sonoma State University, is believed to have shown signs of a mental health crisis. According to court documents obtained by Courthouse News, an unnamed witness who crossed paths with him during the fires said he “mumbled a lot and exhibited behavior similar to bipolar disorder.”
According to court documents, Maynard was arrested after detectives placed a tracking device on his car.
Maynard faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each arson offense.
Maynard is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9.
