A trainee McDonald’s manager in Georgia has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for setting fire to a pile of trash cans to clear a steady stream of customers.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Joshua Daryl McGregor, 34, was working at a Savannah branch of the fast-food chain last April when he became “frustrated” because “the restaurant was very busy” and the drive-thru was very busy.
“The man lit the cardboard on fire and threw it into the restaurant’s trash can, which was filled with cardboard and other flammable materials, where he ensured it was on fire before returning to the restaurant,” federal prosecutors said.
“The fire became so severe that drive-thru customers had to retreat from the parking lot and the restaurant was forced to temporarily close while firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze,” prosecutors noted.
McGregor, who was training to be a manager, then filmed the chaos and blaze and posted it to Facebook, according to the Charlotte Observer.
He was later arrested after security camera footage showed him setting the fire, prosecutors said.
He pleaded guilty to arson and was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison, plus three years of probation after serving his sentence. He was also ordered to pay restitution for property lost in the fire, according to federal prosecutors, who did not disclose an amount.
“Arson is an extremely violent crime that not only destroys property but also puts firefighters, emergency responders and the public at great risk,” said Bo Kolodka with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Atlanta.
McGregor’s lawyer, William Joseph Turner, described his client as “a good man who made a mistake and will get over this.”
But Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, said, “Intentionally setting a fire with the intent to disrupt or damage someone else’s property will not be tolerated.”
“Joshua McGregor will have ample time to consider his employment options following the completion of his sentence.”
