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Two city men face arson and other charges after state police determined a vehicle fire at Four Mile Road and Route 15 in Lewis Township on May 27, 2025 to have been deliberately set, court documents said.
The registered owner of the 2015 Maserati Ghibli, Anthony Leroy James, 53, of 1320 Pleasant Hills Road, allegedly told police that the vehicle had been located off the "creek road, down from an elementary school" at his "partner's chick's house," and confirmed that he had the only set of keys, identifying 58-year-old Linton Hooper, of 613 Wyoming St., as his partner.
James further stated that he had been home all night, however surveillance from the residence captured James' Chevrolet Silverado leaving the driveway just after 7 p.m. and returning just after midnight, police said in an affidavit.
James allegedly then related that he was home by 8 p.m., where he remained for the rest of the evening.
During questioning by police, Hooper stated that he had been picked up by his uncle between 8:30 and 9 p.m. and went to his house before traveling to Baltimore, Md. on the night of the incident.
Hooper added that he had not had contact with James on the date in question, and had no knowledge of, or involvement in the vehicle fire.
A search warrant on the cell phone records, including location data for both Hooper and James allegedly contradicted that, indicating that the two had been in contact on "multiple cellular devices" as well as in person prior to and following a police report being made that the vehicle had been stolen, court filings said.
During the execution of a search warrant at the home of an associate Hooper, he was allegedly found to be in close proximity to a cell phone that had been attempted to be concealed.
Data recovered from Hooper and Linton's phones indicated that both men were aware that the vehicle was partially disabled, parts were being removed and the vehicle was to be "totaled," police allege in court documents.
The data also pointed to inconsistencies of use during a small window of time, including the timeframe that the fire would have been set.
In July 2025, police were made aware that James had filed a claim for loss of the vehicle. He subsequently appeared for a statement under oath, but became agitated when asked questions about Hooper, and ended the proceeding.
During a previously recorded phone interview, James allegedly advised that he was having mechanical trouble, including a "piston going bad," that rendered the vehicle inoperable before it was "stolen" and burned.
A resident of the home James said the vehicle had been housed at later told police that Hooper and James had towed the vehicle to the spot where it was recovered using James' truck, and used gasoline to ignite it, police said in an affidavit.
The witness allegedly stated that the vehicle was taken to the same spot where Hooper had previously burned another vehicle, and that he had never gone to Baltimore.
She added that upon Hooper's return home that night, he told her everything, and was advised to tell the insurance company that James had been cheating on his wife, and someone stole the car, court filings said.
District Judge William Solomon arraigned Linton and Hooper on charges of arson with intent to collect insurance, insurance fraud, making false reports and tampering with evidence. Linton was also charged with reckless burning or exploding.
James was released on $75,000 bail, while Linton was remanded to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail.