TN Firefighter Charged With Arson

Authorities have arrested and charged a former Mawbry volunteer firefighter and his wife for allegedly setting their house on fire to reap the benefits from their insurance company.

According to the local new station, News Chanel 9, there are mixed emotions from the Hamilton County, TN community after James “Andy” Russ and his wife, Randy were accused of setting their own home ablaze.

 “Elizabeth Lewis, Russ’ next door neighbor, remembers the flames from two doors down. ‘For whatever reason, to catch their own house on fire? And put their family in danger? I don’t understand it,’ she says. ‘But I wasn’t shocked.’”

“Lewis lives two doors down from Russ. She and Russ used to fight fires alongside each other for the department. We went on a fire call one night and Andy made a comment, Well if my house was to burn, let it burn.’”

Unfortunately, the Mawbry area is too familiar with firefighters being linked to arson.  Just last year 18-year-old William Harris and 19-year-old George Lewis, who is the son of Russ’s neighbor, Elizabeth, were both charged with arson and conspiracy after allegedly burning down a vacant home.

James and Randy Russ were charged with three counts of arson and filing false insurance claims. Both are in the Hamilton County Jail with each being held on a $15,000 bond.  The damage to the home was estimated to be about $300,000 dollars.