Mario Raynard Roberson paid 2 men to set his Huntsville, Texas, home on fire in 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
HOUSTON — A former resident of Huntsville faces federal charges related to a 2023 fire that destroyed his home and killed two men.
Mario Raynard Roberson, 52, was arrested in Houston on multiple counts related to conspiracy to commit arson resulting in death, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
According to Ganjei, Roberson recruited the victims to set his house on fire so he could collect insurance money from State Farm.
The two people hired by Roberson were killed while setting the fire on June 14, 2023.
At the time, Roberson claimed he was the victim of a hate crime.
“The defendant is alleged to have orchestrated a scheme to collect an insurance payout through a purported racially-motivated arson, which led to two deaths,” Ganjei said on Friday. “Now that he is in federal custody, he will answer these charges, and, if found guilty, be held accountable for the death of these two men.”
Roberson also faces nine additional charges related to the fire, including wire fraud.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned the indictments on July 1.
If convicted, Roberson could get up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.