A Houston man will spend seven years in federal prison for setting fire to a medical center under construction on Interstate 45 North in Spring. The Nov. 21, 2022, blaze destroyed the building, injured a firefighter and damaged a neighboring car wash.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal sentenced Truong Quoc Duong, 55, to 84 months on Tuesday, Sept. 29, and ordered him to pay $3,581,983.67 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. Duong must also serve five years of supervised release after his prison term.
Rosenthal cited Duong's "shocking disregard" for the danger he created by igniting a building next to occupied structures and putting responding firefighters at risk.
Duong pleaded guilty March 3 to conspiring to maliciously use explosive materials resulting in personal injury.
How the fire unfolded
The arson happened in the 25600 block of I-45 North. According to information presented in court, Duong drove co-conspirator Jason Vernon Rogers, 41, to the site in a Jeep Gladiator. Rogers entered the building carrying a full backpack and emerged minutes later without it. The two met at a nearby restaurant. The fire erupted after both men had left the area.
The building, still in early construction with lightweight walls and no exterior walls, collapsed within about 45 minutes, KHOU 11 reported. Crews fought the blaze for several hours. One firefighter suffered burn injuries and was hospitalized. A wall of the adjoining car wash was also damaged.
Federal prosecutors said damage to the building and a fire truck alone exceeded $1 million. The restitution figure also accounts for the financial impact on property owners and their employees.
Arsenal found at arrest
When authorities arrested Duong in March 2023, they found several 2-liter Dr Pepper bottles filled with gasoline and fitted with an ignition system he had designed. Investigators matched the devices to those used at the medical center.
Officers also recovered 87 firearms, including two short-barreled rifles, 14 silencers, 188 firearm magazines, 351 rounds of ammunition, five grenade hulls and five additional bottles of flammable liquid. The court described Duong's explanation for the stockpile as "challenging."
Landlord dispute behind the motive
Court records traced the arson to a rent dispute. Duong owned a pet store in a neighboring strip center and rented from the same landlords who owned the medical center. He stopped paying rent and abandoned the store before his lease expired. The landlords sued him. Birds inside the pet store died after the eviction. The fire occurred several days later.
At sentencing, Rosenthal noted Duong's education and criticized his decision to use it to plan the offense, calling it a "real waste."
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation with help from the Montgomery County Fire Department, the Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office and a Texas Ranger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Laurence Goldman prosecuted the case.
Rogers was previously sentenced for his role. His sentence details have not been made public. Duong remains in federal custody pending transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility.
Anyone with information about arson in the Spring area can contact the ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477).
