NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Nashville man was sentenced Wednesday for intentionally setting fires at multiple churches across the Nashville metropolitan area several years ago.
Alan Douglas Fox, 29, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
Fox was charged last August and pleaded guilty to Civil Rights violations in October for the arsons. Those fires took place over a 10-day period at:
- Crievewood United Methodist Church on June 17, 2019
- Crievewood Baptist Church on June 25, 2019
- Saint Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church on June 25, 2019
- Priest Lake Community Baptist Church on June 26, 2019
All of the fires resulted in “significant damage” to each of the churches, and Fox admitted to setting the fires due to “the religious character of the four churches.”
Fox also used a gun during the arson of the Crievewood Baptist Church.
“This defendant has now been held accountable for his dangerous arson spree that caused damage to a Catholic church, a Methodist church and two Baptist churches, all pillars of the Nashville community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Attacks on houses of worship are attacks on people of faith that undermine the fundamental right to practice one’s religion free from fear or violence.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, TBI, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Nashville Fire Department.
