November 8, 2012

Man pleads guilty to setting sub fire at Kittery shipyard

Casey James Fury, 24, of Portsmouth, N.H., waived indictment Thursday morning in federal court and pleaded guilty to two counts of arson.

By Scott Dolan sdolan@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

PORTLAND — Shipyard worker Casey James Fury was only looking to get out of work a little early when he set a fire on a nuclear submarine at the Portsmoth Naval Shipyard in Kittery on May 23, U.S. Attorney Thomas Delahanty II said a press conference Thursday.

Casey James Fury

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The USS Miami, in a 2004 photo provided by the U.S. Navy.

AP

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As a result, Fury, 24, of Portsmouth, N.H., now faces 188 to 235 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of arson as part of a plea deal reached Thursday morning in U.S. District Court in Portland.

That fire aboard the USS Miami turned into the equivalent of a “roaring blast furnace” that injured five emergency workers as they went in to get the blaze under control, Delahanty said.

Fury faced up to life in prison on one count of arson for starting the fire aboard the submarine, which was in the shipyard for an overhaul, and up to 25 years in prison on a second count of arson for starting another fire on June 16 outside the submarine.

Fury’s plea change was not listed on the court docket sheet Thursday morning, and the agreement was presented after he waived indictment in a court appearance earlier Thursday before Judge George Singal. Fury had been detained since his arrest on July 23.

  Staff Writer Scott Dolan can be contacted at 791-6304 or at:

sdolan@mainetoday.com

Twitter: scottddolan

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