Overview
- A federal jury in Greenbelt found Phillip James Dupree, 41, and Mark Ross Johnson Jr., 38, guilty of conspiracy and substantive wire fraud and bank fraud, as well as arson.
- Prosecutors said Johnson’s Ford F-450 was intentionally burned, then a falsified impound report claiming a patrol discovery was used to bolster an insurance claim.
- Trial evidence included altered phone records obscuring a 16-minute call between the men before the fire and expert testimony that the blaze was deliberately set, leading to a payout exceeding $68,000.
- In 2019, the pair coordinated ATM withdrawals and later filed bogus theft reports that were never entered into the county records system and listed a non-existent officer to seek reimbursements from three financial institutions.
- Both men face potentially lengthy federal prison terms, with specific maximums reported differently across outlets, and their sentencing hearings are set for February 2026.