Maurice Dews, 27, has pleaded guilty to five counts of arson in the District, including one where four firefighters were seriously injured. The fires were set during a three-year period, ending with his arrest in July. Dews pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated assault in the April 2011 blaze that injured firefighters. Respondents to the scene were unaware the home was empty after Dews place the 911 call, and four firefighters suffered serious burns.
Dews has also admitted responsibility to three fires in Maryland, occurring in 2007, 2010 and 2011. Dews faces 25 years in prison if a judge agrees with the plea agreement when he is sentenced Feb. 3.
