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Prosecutor: Arson 'effort to wipe out a community'
Three of six suspects in Charles Co. blazes appear in
court; Investigators seek to question about 10 others;
Possible racial motive, gang links probed
By Brian Witte December 21, 2004, 6:08 PM EST
GREENBELT -- An arson that destroyed part of a
development with many black homeowners was "an effort
to wipe out a community" and authorities are "very
carefully investigating" whether the fires were a
racial hate crime, a federal prosecutor said today.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Sanger said the suspects,
"not all of whom are in custody at this time," intended
to "inflict as much damage as possible." Six men have
been arrested, and authorities have said they have
interviewed or plan to question about 10 more people
who may be connected to the fires.
The Dec. 6 fires destroyed 10 houses and damaged 16
others at the upscale Hunters Brooke development in the
suburbs of Washington, much of which was still under
construction. Investigators called it the largest
residential arson in Maryland history.
Sanger made her comments during a detention hearing
today for the first suspect arrested, Aaron L. Speed,
21, of Waldorf. A magistrate granted Sanger's request
to keep Speed in custody until his trial.
Speed's attorney, public defender John C. Chamble,
called the government's case "extremely thin," saying
there was no scientific or forensic evidence against
his client.
Speed and the five other suspects in custody -- all
young, white men -- are charged with arson. None is
charged with a hate crime.
Investigators had said earlier that racism may have
been a motive. A law enforcement source who spoke on
condition of anonymity said two of the suspects made
racial statements while talking to investigators.
Two other motives have been suggested in court
documents -- a desire to gain notoriety for a local
gang and revenge.
Michael E. Gilbert, 21, one of two suspects arrested
Monday, acknowledged during interrogation that he knew
about the arson plot in advance, according to an
affidavit made public today. The document said he was
also known as "White Mike."
"Gilbert said that he was a member of 'the family,'
also known as the 'Unseen Cavaliers,' a gang operating
in Charles County, Md.," the documents said.
"The leader of the 'family' is Patrick Walsh. Gilbert
stated that approximately one month ago, Walsh
approached Gilbert saying Walsh had a plan to make "the
family bigger and more famous.' Walsh's plan had to do
with setting 'something' on fire and that it would be big."
Another defendant, Michael M. Everhart of Waldorf, said
he overheard Walsh talk about a plan to burn down homes
in Hunters Brooke, according to court documents.
Walsh's attorney, William B. Purpura, denied the
allegations in the affidavits.
"He's not the head of any gang," Purpura said. He said
he believes the name, Unseen Cavaliers, refers to cars.
Walsh, who lives in Waldorf, owns a purple Chevrolet
Cavalier. Court papers said trained dogs detected the
scent of fire-starting chemicals on two of Walsh's
cars, including the Cavalier.
A Web site for a group called the Unseen Cavaliers
features a photo of a Chevrolet Cavalier on its opening
page. It said the car club meets Wednesday evenings in
Waldorf. It was not immediately clear if it was related
to the group described by Gilbert and Purpura, and
phone calls and e-mails to the group's organizers were
not immediately returned.
Walsh, Michael M. Everhart of Waldorf and Jeremy D.
Parady of Accokeek, all 20, were arrested Saturday.
Gilbert and Roy T. McCann Jr., 22, of Marbury, were
arrested Monday. Speed, 21, of Waldorf, a security
guard who worked at the construction site, was arrested Friday.
The official who spoke on condition of anonymity said
Parady, a volunteer with a local fire department,
unsuccessfully sought to get a job with Lennar Corp.,
the company building the houses. Speed allegedly told
investigators that he was angry with his employer,
Security Services of America, because company officials
didn't treat him properly after one of his sons died
this year.
Initially, there was speculation the fires were set by
environmental extremists because some critics had
complained the houses threatened a nearby bog. But no
evidence has been found to support that theory, police said.
Walsh told authorities that he and Gilbert are distant
cousins, while Gilbert told investigators that he is a
distant cousin of Walsh and Everhart, according to
court documents.
Gilbert, of Fort Washington, and McCann appeared in
court today and were ordered held pending detention
hearings. Their attorneys declined to comment.
Several of the suspects were interested in street
racing and may have been members of an informal racing
club, according to a law enforcement source who spoke
on condition of anonymity.
"A lot of them know each other from that club. That's
one thing they had in common," the source said.
Another affidavit said Everhart, Parady, Walsh and
Speed, as well as unnamed "acquaintances," met at a
Wendy's restaurant parking lot in Waldorf before they
allegedly went to set the fires.
Gilbert's girlfriend said he couldn't have been at the
fires, which started during the early morning of Dec.
6. April Wilkinson, 19, of Waldorf, said that after
they ate at a restaurant together Dec. 5, they went
back to her home and played cards until 7 a.m. the next
morning, when Gilbert went to sleep.
Stephanie Cave, a friend of Gilbert's, said she was
also at the restaurant and played cards with Gilbert
the night of the fires.
She said she knows several of the suspects, and that
they would meet on a regular basis at a Denny's
restaurant to talk. Cave described the group as a
"family." At one gathering, the members had dinner and
talked. The topics included cars but not crime, she said.
She said Walsh was a laid-back person who tried to stop fights.
"Pat, he didn't like drama," she said. "He usually
tried to stop it from happening."
If convicted of arson, the men face a minimum prison
sentence of five years each.
Copyright 2004 by The Baltimore Sun.
--
LP
"We are fighting today for security, for progress,
and for peace, not only for ourselves but for all
men, not only for one generation but for all
generations. We are fighting to cleanse the world
of ancient evils, ancient ills."
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
State of the Union Address - 1942
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