Gary Alan Maynard, a former professor at Sonoma State University, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for setting a series of wildfires in Northern California in 2022. The sentencing took place on April 26, 2024, in Sacramento federal court.
Maynard, 49, pleaded guilty to four counts of arson on federal land. He admitted to starting fires in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Lassen National Forest between July and August 2022. The fires threatened communities and required significant firefighting resources.
According to court documents, Maynard was a criminology professor who had studied arsonists. He was arrested after investigators used GPS data from his vehicle to link him to the fire locations. No injuries were reported, but the fires burned hundreds of acres.
U.S. District Judge John Mendez described the crimes as a betrayal of public trust. Maynard apologized in court, stating he had been under severe stress. He was ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service.
