HOUSTON – A Houston man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his role in setting fire to a medical center under construction in Spring, a blaze that injured a firefighter and caused millions of dollars in damage.
Truong Quoc Duong, 55, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal. He will also serve five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $3,581,983.67 in restitution.
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Duong pleaded guilty March 3 to conspiring to maliciously use explosive materials resulting in personal injury.
The case dates back to Nov. 21, 2022, when Duong drove Jason Rogers to a three-story medical center under construction along Interstate 45 North in Spring.
According to information presented in court, Duong dropped Rogers off near the building. Rogers entered carrying a full backpack and came back out several minutes later without it.
The two men later met at a nearby restaurant.
The fire broke out after they left the area. Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours, but the building was destroyed. The neighboring car wash was also damaged, and a firefighter suffered burn injuries.
The total damage exceeded $1 million, according to federal prosecutors. Investigators later determined the fire was intentionally set.
Duong was later arrested with several 2-liter Dr Pepper bottles filled with gasoline and equipped with an ignition system he had designed, according to court records.
Investigators determined the devices matched those used to set fire to the medical center.
At the time of his arrest, authorities also found five 2-liter bottles containing flammable liquid, five grenade hulls, 188 firearm magazines, 14 silencers, 351 rounds of ammunition and 87 firearms, including two short-barreled rifles.
The court questioned Duong’s explanation for possessing the items, describing it as “challenging,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Judge calls actions a “shocking disregard”
During sentencing, the court considered the injuries to the firefighter, damage to the fire truck and neighboring car wash, and the financial impact on the medical center’s owners and their employees.
Judge Rosenthal described Duong’s actions as a “shocking disregard” for the danger he created by setting fire to a building next to occupied structures and the firefighters who responded.
The judge also criticized Duong for using his education to plan the offense, calling it a “real waste.”
Dispute with medical center owners
According to information presented in court, Duong owned a pet store in a neighboring strip center and rented the space from the same landlords who owned the medical center.
Duong had stopped paying rent and abandoned the store before his lease expired, prosecutors said. The landlords later sued him.
The investigation found that the birds inside the pet store died following the eviction. The medical center fire happened several days later, according to information presented in court.
Duong will remain in federal custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
Rogers, 41, of Houston, was also sentenced for his role in the arson.
