Maryland State Fire Marshal
News Release Martin O’Malley Governor
William E. Barnard State Fire Marshal
LAPLATA MAN CHARGED WITH ARSON AND INSURANCE FRAUD CHARLES COUNTY, MD (May 29, 2012) – Deputy State Fire Marshals served an arrest warrant on James Edward Randles, III (28), after an extended investigation into a vehicle fire involving a 2010 Dodge VST pick-up truck belonging to Randles. The incident originally occurred on March 22, 2011 at approximately 11:20 p.m. in an undeveloped portion of the Brentwood Housing Development on Linden Grove Drive in Waldorf. Investigators determined Randles was responsible for the intentional burning of his vehicle. He was served an arrest warrant at the Charles County Detention Center where he was being held on unrelated charges. Randles was charged with Arson 2nd Degree, Malicious Burning/Fraud and False/Misleading Fraud. He remains in custody at the Charles County Detention Center.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal is an agency of the Department of State Police dedicated to helping protect citizens from fire and explosion through a comprehensive program of education, inspection, investigation and fire protection engineering. For more information on fire safety call 1-800-525-3124, log onto our website at: www.mdsp.org/firemarshal and/or follow us on Facebook under “Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal”.
Media contact: Bruce D. Bouch, Deputy State Fire Marshal; 443-324-6876
1201 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, MD 21208