Missouri Man Gets 5 Years in Prison for Arson

A 50-year-old southeast Missouri man is sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $50,000 in restitution for setting fire at a manufacturing building.

Larry Keller of New Madrid was sentenced Dec. 17 in federal court. He must pay nearly $23,000 in restitution to an insurance company and $25,000 to Rowe Furniture Co.

Keller pleaded guilty to arson charges in October. He admitted setting fire to machines and lumber at the Rowe manufacturing building in Morehouse, Mo. He had been fired from the company about two weeks prior to the fire, then allegedly made threats against it.

The Morehouse plant ultimately closed in 2007 as part of a companywide reorganization.