Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Man faces 10 years in arson fire at autism learning center

A Las Vegas man who worked for an autism education business pleaded guilty Tuesday to arson in an April fire at a competing facility, federal prosecutors said.

Samuel Powers, 24, was accused of setting fire to Sport Social, an autism education center at 7055 Windy St., near Warm Springs Road and Las Vegas Boulevard South, said U.S. Attorney for Nevada Daniel Bogden.

Powers also pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered firearms after authorities found two Molotov cocktails in his car, officials said.

Prosecutors and Powers agreed to a binding recommendation of a 10-year prison sentence and reimbursement for about $50,000 damage from the fire, officials said. Sentencing was set for Nov. 1.

According to the plea agreement, Powers broke into the facility April 15 with a gasoline container and several Molotov cocktails and ignited multiple fires.

He was arrested after firefighters responding to the blaze spotted him leaving Sport Social through a broken front door with a five-gallon plastic fuel container, according to a Metro Police arrest report.

According to the arrest report, sprinklers had already doused the blaze by the time firefighters arrived.

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