Three Rockford-Area Men Sentenced on Arson Conspiracy Charge

U.S. Attorney’s Office
Northern District of Illinois
20 December 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ROCKFORD — Three Rockford-area men have been sentenced for their roles in an arson conspiracy to use an explosive to damage a pickup truck.

Today, JASON VANDUYN, 41, of Machesney Park, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Philip G. Reinhard to 151 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. On Sept. 19, 2016, Vanduyn pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge.

According to the written plea agreement, Vanduyn admitted that between June 7, 2015, and June 12, 2015, he recruited co-defendants BRIAN BURD, 48, and ROBERT WARMOTH, 43, both of Rockford, to blow up a pickup truck. As stated in the plea agreement, Vanduyn had been in a fistfight with the owner of the truck on June 7, 2015, and Vanduyn wanted to exact revenge on the owner. Vanduyn offered to pay Burd and Warmoth to blow up the truck and provided them with an explosive to use. During the early morning hours of June 12, 2015, Warmoth drove Burd to an area near Theodore Street in Loves Park, where the truck was parked. Burd smashed a window on the truck and placed the explosive in the truck where it detonated. No one was injured in the ensuing explosion.

Burd and Warmoth pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge on Aug. 8, 2016. On Dec. 12, 2016, Burd and Warmoth were each sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Reinhard also ordered restitution of $12,000, jointly and severally, to be paid by the three co-defendants.

The sentencings were announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; George Lauder, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and, Chuck Lynde, Chief of the Loves Park Police Department. The investigation was conducted under the auspices of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, which includes representatives from FBI, ATF, Loves Park Police Department, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department, and Rockford Police Department.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret J. Schneider.