Black Minister that got off one arson charge, was a suspect in burning his own church, now is charged with torching his RV

Black Minister that got off one arson charge, was a suspect in burning his own church, got plea deal for torching his RV

Daniel Leon Lindsey Sr., (DOB 07/01/1960) of 22615 Mill Creek Drive, Bushwood, Md., represented by Michael David Lovelace of the Palumbo Law Group in Fort Washington, Md., entered into a plea deal with Charles County States Attorney Tony Covington on Nov. 7, 2018, and got a better deal than his grandson and co-defendant, David Lindsey. The indictments issued by the Grand Jury for arson in the second degree and conspiracy to commit arson were both put on the Stet Docket by Covington.

David Leon Lindsey, (DOB 01/20/1999) of 22615 Mill Creek Drive, Bushwood, Md., represented by a free attorney provided by Maryland Taxpayers, got a plea deal from Charles County States Attorney Tony Covington on Jan. 9, 2019 when he entered a guilty plea to malicious burning in the second degree in Charles County Circuit Court. THE DEAL: Lindsey was giving a verdict of Probation Before Judgment and sentenced to seven days in the Charles County Jail. A second criminal count of conspiracy to commit arson was dropped by Covington.

WILL THIRD ARSON CHARGE
BE THE CHARM?

BUSHWOOD, MD – A minister and former District of Columbia firefighter, who got off of one arson charge, was still a suspect in burning his own black church in St. Mary’s County, Md., has now been charged once more with arson, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal.

A Deputy State Fire Marshal has served a criminal summons to two men involved in setting fire to a recreational vehicle in Charlotte Hall.  The RV is owned by Rev. Daniel Leon Lindsey Sr.

On March 5, 2018, at approximately 6:43 pm, approximately 5 firefighters from Newburg Volunteer Fire Department responded to a one-alarm fire located at the intersection of Budds Creek Road and Old Mill Road causing approximately $40,000 in damages.

As a result of the investigation by the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, it was determined that Rev. Daniel Leon Lindsey Sr. (7/1/1960) and David Leon Lindsey (01/20/1999) both currently residing at 22615 Mill Creek Drive, Bushwood, St. Mary’s County are involved with intentionally setting fire to the 2004 Monaco RV.

Investigators report that both men were charged with Arson 2nd Degree and Conspiracy to Commit Arson 2nd Degree.  The Deputy State Fire Marshal served the two men with the Criminal Summons at the LaPlata State Police Barrack at approximately 8:15 a.m. without incident.

Black Minister Remains Suspect in Arson of Black Church Following Acquittal on Charges of Burning Murder Suspect’s Home

LONGVIEW BEACH, MD. — Even though Rev. Daniel Lindsey, the pastor of a small black church which was torched in the dead of night, was found not guilty in St. Mary’s Circuit Court by a jury of his peers of the arson of the home of a murder suspect, yet remained a suspect in the arson of his church.

Maryland State Deputy Fire Marshal Roy Mesler said at the time of the fire that Lindsey is still a suspect in that fire as well as one other fire which took place in a vacant house in Longview Beach owned by now-convicted murderer Keith Allen Green.

First, Green’s house and then Rev. Lindsey’s small church was torched. In November of 1997, the Victory Temple Church of God was reduced to ashes as ATF investigators poured through the embers looking for clues.  Deputy Chief Marshal W. Faron Taylor said at the time that all three fires were connected.

Green was convicted of killing 13-year-old Claudia Pickeral following a contentious investigation in which the Maryland State Police took over the investigation after the St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Department dropped the ball.

The arson of the black church, Victory Temple Church Of God In Christ, was seen as a possible hate crime when it took place as it occurred during the midst of a rash of scores of fires in black churches throughout the nation.

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, as well as Alcohol, Tax and Firearms agents, rushed to the scene of the arson fire to assist Maryland fire marshal’s in their investigation. In a rare visit to St. Mary’s County, State Fire Marshal Rocco Gabriele also participated in the probe of the fire.

Shortly after the investigation began, officials issued statements saying that they found no evidence that the crime was hate-based. A number of arsons to black churches have been found to be the handiwork of blacks, black ministers or those attached in some way to the congregation, while the majority have been perpetrated by white supremacists and other hoodlums.

After Lindsey was found not guilty in court, he filed a lawsuit against State Farm Insurance. Court records do not reflect the outcome of the case.