Wildfire Suspect Admits Writing Threatening Letters

A Van Nuys man who remains a suspect in several of the recent arson wildfires pleaded guilty Monday to charges that, under the alias Fedbuster, he wrote letters threatening to set fires in Southern California.

Thomas Lee Larsen, 43, pleaded guilty to six counts of sending the threatening letters to fire stations, mostly in the San Fernando Valley.

“We were happy with the settlement,” said Deputy U.S. Atty. Gregory Jessner. “It was the best the government could do.”

In federal court, a defendant who pleads guilty can be sentenced for no more than six counts. Larsen originally had been charged with 77 counts of making threats in letters and had faced a maximum sentence of 385 years in prison and a $192.5-million fine.

Each of the counts carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine so Larsen technically could serve 30 years in prison and be assessed a $1.5-million fine under the terms of a plea agreement.

But his attorney, Paul Abrams, and Jessner agreed that the sentence will be much less. During a bail request after the guilty plea, Abrams said that under sentencing guidelines, his client faces a maximum of four years in jail. Jessner estimated that Larsen faces a maximum of 5 years and 3 months in prison.

Sentencing has been scheduled for April 4.

Addressing Judge Harry L. Hupp, Larsen admitted to sending all the Fedbuster letters. “All the letters were the same, exact Xerox copies,” he said. “And I sent them all on the same day.”

But although he is the subject of a continuing arson investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Larsen has denied setting any of the recent fires. He has not been charged in any of them.

Of the 77 counts, 33 were related to letters penned under the Fedbuster alias, 33 were connected to letters written under the name Nitecrawler and seven were the result of letters threatening to kill a prominent Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer and his family.

The Fedbuster letters were sent to 37 Southern California residents and fire stations last August. In those letters, Larsen said he was upset about property that had been seized from him, and he demanded an apology from the prosecutors, judges and agents who were responsible.

“If I get no satisfaction by the time we get a good volatile fire season, you’ll really regret it you’ll see,” he wrote.

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In the Nitecrawler letters, sent to Manhattan Beach residents and preschools, the author threatened to poison baby food and meat.

In an affidavit filed in connection with the Larsen case, FBI Special Agent Richard G. Palacios said he believed both the Fedbuster and Nitecrawler letters were written by the same person. Larsen never admitted writing the Nitecrawler letters.

Larsen also is charged with sending a letter threatening to kill lawyer J. Patrick Maginnis and members of his family. Maginnis represented Larsen in two previous cases, most recently in a case where Larsen was charged with spraying acid on cars and a girl.

Larsen has a long criminal history, including a conviction for child molestation.

Larsen was arrested twice on arson charges--once as a 9-year-old for trying to burn down a church, and once in 1976 for attempting to burn down the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.

He was arrested on Nov. 8 for writing the Fedbuster letters.