CARROLLTON, Ala. — Two men pleaded guilty May 16 to burning a church in Pickens County, a step that ends federal and state prosecution in a 2006 arson spree that targeted nine rural churches. Matthew Cloyd and Benjamin Moseley, both 21, pleaded guilty to arson and burglary charges, acknowledging they set fire to Dancy First Baptist Church, one of the nine churches burned in February 2006. A friend, Russell DeBusk, was involved in five of the fires and earlier pleaded guilty to his role.
Cloyd and Moseley pleaded guilty to second-degree arson and third-degree burglary charges. The men will serve two-year state prison sentences that will run at the same time as prison sentences that were previously handed down in Bibb, Sumter and Greene counties. The concurrent state sentences will begin once they complete an eight-year federal prison term ordered by U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor in April. DeBusk, 20, will also serve a seven-year federal prison term followed by a two-year state sentence for the fires in Bibb County.
Pickens County District Attorney Chris McCool said he did not seek any additional state prison time for Cloyd and Moseley at the request of Dancy First Baptist’s pastor, Walter Hawkins, and church members.
In addition to federal prison, the three men must pay $3.1 million in restitution, with Cloyd and Moseley to pay a greater share. They also are to perform 300 hours of community service work at the churches once they are released.
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