Former Criminology Professor Sentenced to Over 5 Years for Arson Spree in California

A former criminology professor, Gary Stephen Maynard, 49, has been sentenced to 63 months in prison by Judge Daniel J. Calabretta of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The sentencing comes after he admitted to setting four fires in California in 2021, with three counts of arson on federal property. Mr. Maynard was specialized in social deviancy.

According to prosecutors, Mr. Maynard confessed to setting a series of fires in July and August 2021. One of the fires was set behind firefighters who were battling the Dixie fire, which burned over 960,000 acres and was one of the largest wildfires in California history.

Following his 63-month prison sentence, Mr. Maynard will be on supervised release for three years. Additionally, he is obligated to pay over $13,000 in restitution upon his release from prison. Initially facing four counts of arson when indicted in November 2021, one count was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.