(WUSA) -- Since July, 2007, Napoleon Queen has been a volunteer firefighter in Prince George's County, Maryland. This was the 39-year-old Queen's second firefighting stint in the county. His first one ended abruptly in 1990 when he was arrested for arson.
According to Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department spokesman Mark Brady, Queen has been responding on emergency calls with the Ritchie Volunteer Fire Department despite Ritchie's leadership being notified in September that Queen is a convicted arsonist. Ritchie Volunteer Fire Department president Dave Crigger says he never received that notification.
Crigger says about eight hours after 9NEWS NOW began asking about Queen on Tuesday, Queen was told he could no longer respond on calls. Spokesman Brady says our questions have prompted an investigation into why Ritchie's leadership failed to act on the September order.
Brady said, "We notified the appropriate responsible individuals of the leadership of that particular station and we expected them to follow through with our orders."
Court records and news archives identify Queen as a member of an arson ring involving ten volunteer firefighters. They were arrested in September of 1990 when Queen was 21-years-old. Maryland court records show Queen entering a guilty plea on two counts of setting fires to homes. He was sentenced to 10-years in prison with all but 4-years suspended. At the time, Queen was a member of the Boulevard Heights Volunteer Fire Department.
9NEWS NOW could not reach Napoleon Queen. He was last living at the Ritchie fire station.
