Man Admits to National Forest Crimes

(St. Louis, MO) A man from Iron County is pleading guilty to committing an October crime spree that included arsons in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri and the assault of a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer. A press release from the United States Attorney's Office Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis indicates 37 year old Lucas G. Henson, pled guilty Tuesday to one count each of assaulting a law enforcement officer, arson, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Henson admitted that after being charged with stealing and drug offenses last year, he was out on bond when he stole a vehicle from Patriot Rentals near Poplar Bluff, ran it out of gas, stole another vehicle and some weapons including a pistol and crossbow, pointed the gun at the vehicle's owner and sped away. Officers began a pursuit and Henson crashed the vehicle in the Mark Twain National Forest where he fled on foot. That's when Henson pointed the crossbow at an officer. He then committed arson by starting several fires to prevent his capture during the foot chase. The fires burned a total of 7.61 acres of land. Burn orders were in effect at the time due to the dry and windy conditions, and Henson’s fires kept leaping over the fire lines established by fire fighters. Crews eventually had to construct “dozer lines” to contain the fire and spent $7,228 fighting the fires. Henson is scheduled to be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau on June 28.