Judge Orders Alleged Maryland Arson Ringleader Held Without Bail

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) -- A federal judge on Friday said people could have been killed in the Charles County arsons and ordered the alleged ringleader of the blaze to remain in custody without bail because he posed a potential threat to the community.

U.S. District Judge Roger Titus described the arson allegations against 20-year-old Patrick Walsh and five other men as ``extraordinary in nature, unprecedented in scope.''

Although nearly all of the homes in the new Hunters Brook development in Indian Head were unoccupied, one family had moved in before the fires. Titus said that family was surrounded by fire and put in danger. Firefighters who responded to the blaze also were threatened, the judge said.

William Purpura, Walsh's attorney, argued that his client wasn't accused of trying to harm anyone. Purpura asked the judge to place Walsh on home monitoring with his parents, who have offered to put up their home and property to secure his release.

Purpura argued that Walsh was not the instigator of the fires. He said search warrant affidavits show two other suspects _ Aaron Speed and Jeremy Parady _ each accused the other of plotting the arsons, but neither mentioned Walsh. Purpura also pointed out that three other men accused in setting the fires have been released on bail.

But prosecutor Timothy Atkins argued that arson, legally, was ``a crime of violence,'' and investigators have found evidence that Walsh has participated in crimes involving fire in the past and sold drugs. Atkins also argued against home detention, saying previous supervision by Walsh's parents obviously was insufficient.

Investigators found drawings of a pipe bomb, Molotov cocktails, a homemade gun and other incendiary devices at Walsh's home.

Purpura contended the drawings were made about four years ago and weren't connected to the arson case, which caused an estimated $10 million in damage. No one was hurt in the Dec. 6 conflagration.

Authorities have accused Walsh of recruiting other men charged in the crime. He is believed to be the head of ``the Family,'' a tight knit group of men in their early twenties who had a similar interest in street racing.

Purpura contended the drawings were made about four years ago and not connected to the arson case.

The drawings, copies of which were included in the filings, are crude sketches made in a spiral notebook. They include a ``bulb bomb'' made from a container that appears to be a light bulb and an ``aerosol bomb/fire starter.'' For the Molotov cocktail, the drawing includes proportions of gasoline and motor oil to be mixed in a glass jar with a piece of cloth as a wick.

On another page, there is a drawing of a homemade ``1 use shotgun,'' composed of a steel pipe, gunpowder and a shotgun shell.

Investigators allegedly found a copy of the ``Anarchist's Cookbook'' that was downloaded from the Internet. The 1970s era text includes instructions on how to make explosives such as thermite bombs, letter bombs and Molotov cocktails.

The filings also state he once worked as a pyro-technician at a Six Flags amusement park.

Walsh's trial has been scheduled for May 31.

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