Federal authorities involved in the search for a serial arsonist yesterday charged a man with lying to investigators after he was arrested Wednesday for posing as a fire official at a Lanham elementary school.
An affidavit released yesterday in support of the federal charge shows that investigators are looking for links between Noel Gibson of Riverdale and 35 fires set in the Washington area in the past 13 months — one of which was fatal.
Mr. Gibson, 43, was ordered to be held without bail during a brief appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt yesterday.
Investigators expect a search of a car used by Mr. Gibson will yield evidence of “possession of a destructive device,” similar to those used in the spate of arsons, according to a six-page affidavit prepared by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
An attachment to the affidavit in support of a search warrant lists items to be seized as “any and all items associated with the making of handmade destructive devices, including jugs, bottles, rags, bags and other such items.”
It also requests “any and all items associated with the setting of fires,” charts or maps indicating arson locations, and fiber and hair evidence.
In U.S. District Court, a public defender was appointed to represent Mr. Gibson on charges he made false statements to a federal investigator. Wearing black army boots, blue jeans and a faded Fairfax County Fire Department T-shirt, he spoke only to acknowledge the appointment of his attorney during the 10-minute hearing.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Jillyn K. Schulze deemed Mr. Gibson, who has an extensive record, as a flight risk and ordered him held until a detention hearing on Monday. He had been jailed in the District for making domestic threats and destruction of property.
Prosecutors said Mr. Gibson told them he has been in hiding for the past few years because of his troubles with the law.
Mr. Gibson bore a close resemblance to a composite sketch of the serial arsonist released this year, except that his hair was more closely shaved than that in the drawing.
He was arrested at about noon Wednesday outside a Riverdale apartment as he was loading a box into a white Volvo with stolen tags. The car fit the description of one that was driven away from Magnolia Elementary School in Lanham on Monday.
A man thought to be Mr. Gibson was turned away from the school after he flashed a Prince George’s County fire investigator’s identification card and requested personnel information, fire-evacuation plans and a yearbook.
Investigators found a Prince George’s County Fire Department fire coat and a patch from the defunct Hillside volunteer fire company in Mr. Gibson’s car. They also recovered the identification card of Prince George’s County firefighter Michael Keyes.
Mark Brady, a spokesman for the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, said authorities had interviewed Mr. Keyes, who is not thought to have been involved in any wrongdoing. Mr. Brady said it was not clear whether Mr. Keyes and Mr. Gibson knew each other.
During questioning, Mr. Gibson told investigators that he was Fairfax County firefighter Haywood Phillip Marshall, even after fingerprint tests proved he was not.
Fairfax County Deputy Fire Chief Glenn Benarick yesterday said Mr. Marshall is a member of the department and was interviewed by the regional arson task force.
Chief Benarick said he had no knowledge of what Mr. Marshall told investigators.
Dan Woloszynowski, a spokesman for the ATF Washington Field Office, referred questions to the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Vickie LeDuc, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney for Maryland Thomas M. DiBiagio, said she could not comment on evidence against Mr. Gibson, but listed his age as 43, contrary to earlier comments by the Prince George’s County fire department that he is 33. She said Mr. Gibson had no fixed address.
Mr. Brady said authorities Wednesday night had planned to charge Mr. Gibson with impersonating a firefighter, a misdemeanor that carries a three-year sentence. But local charges against Mr. Gibson were superseded by federal charges of making false statements to federal investigators, a felony that carries a five-year sentence.
The arson task force has conclusively linked 15 fires in the District, Prince George’s County and Alexandria to the serial arsonist, while 20 others, including those set in Fairfax and Silver Spring, have been classified as “similar in nature.”
Among them is a June 5 fire in the 4900 block of Evarts Street NE that killed 86-year-old Lou Edna Jones. Metropolitan Police are investigating that case as a homicide.
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