Retired Marine gets 20 years in prison for Kinston arsons

William Shawn Elliot, 55, of Jacksonville, was convicted of arson and making false statements to influence a bank loan. He also was ordered to pay $921,542 in restitution to the victims of his crimes.

Federal authorities said that Elliot got into the real estate business more than a decade ago and became over-extended while trying to build a duplex and a house in Jacksonville. He then submitted false tax returns to a bank to secure a construction loan, but his contractor sued him when he didn't get enough money through the loan to pay his bills.

Within a few weeks of being sued, a building Elliot owned on East Gordon Street in downtown Kinston burned to the ground. The building's tenant was able to escape the fire.

Molotov cocktails were thrown into several nearby buildings at the same time, burning them as well, authorities said.

Video from nearby security cameras showed Elliot's SUV in the area shortly before the fires, and investigators found a gasoline-soaked glove with his DNA on it, authorities said.

During his sentencing, Elliot insisted he didn't commit the arsons – he argued at trial that he confessed to law enforcement only because he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder – but Chief U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle said the perjury and his lack of remorse warranted a longer sentence than called for under federal guidelines.