Michigan man who started 3 commercial semi-truck fires in Arizona sentenced to 10 years

PHOENIX — A man from Michigan was sentenced last week to 10 years in federal prison for setting fire to three semi‑truck trailers in Arizona.

A jury found 67‑year‑old Viorel Pricop guilty of three counts of arson of a vehicle or property in interstate commerce after an eight‑day trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

“This defendant left a nation-wide path of destruction that threatened lives, property and critical infrastructure,” U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said in a Monday announcement. “Thanks to the dedicated work of federal prosecutors and ATF agents, the DOJ brought him to justice.”

What did arson culprit from Michigan do in Arizona?

Prosecutors said Pricop intentionally set fire to three semi‑truck trailers owned by Swift Transportation, a Phoenix‑based trucking company. Two of the fires happened in Willcox and one in Holbrook.

These fires were part of a larger pattern as Pricop also set fire to at least 16 other Swift trailers across several states, including California and Alabama, prosecutors said.

Pricop was previously convicted in 2018 in Michigan for a tax crime and transporting stolen goods. These charges came from an investigation involving Swift.

Pricop served about 26 months in prison in that case. His supervised release ended in June 2019, which was before he began the arsons in Arizona.

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