Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Scotia Man Indicted for Arson
Defendant Alleged to Have Set Fire to the Building at 605 Union Street in Schenectady
ALBANY, NEW YORK – On July 27, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Duane E. Griffin, 35, of Scotia, New York with arson, announced Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith, and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) New York Field Division.
The indictment alleges that on March 17, 2012, Griffin set fire to the building at 605 Union Street, Schenectady, New York.
The charge filed against Griffin carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Griffin was arraigned on July 31, 2017 in Albany, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and released pending a trial scheduled for October 2, 2017 before Senior United States District Court Judge Gary L. Sharpe.
The charge in the indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the ATF and the Schenectady Fire Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss.