Serial arsonist convicted in federal court

CEDAR RAPIDS - A federal jury has found a serial arsonist guilty of starting three Eastern Iowa fires, one of which injured an Oelwein firefighter.

After a seven-day trial in U.S. District Court and two and a half hours of deliberations, jurors on Tuesday convicted Shawn Gant, 40, of West Union, of three counts of arson. Gant faces between 17 and 80 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney C.J. Williams said evidence at trial showed that Gant set one fire July 5, 2009, at a rental home in Independence where he'd stayed with friends; a second on Oct. 10, 2009, at a rental home in Fayette where the mother of his child lived; and a third May 7, 2010, at his own apartment in the West Charles Mall building in Oelwein.

The Oelwein fire, stoked by strong winds, went out of control and destroyed the entire building, along with an adjoining building, according to testimony. A firefighter suffered a minor burn to his hand and had breathing problems when a flashover happened.

Gant was convicted of two counts of arson in Winneshiek County District Court in 2002, and he also admitted to starting a car fire in Decorah in 2002 and an apartment fire - which destroyed a building - in Oelwein in 2004.

He was already serving 10 years in federal prison when he was found guilty last year of making threats in 2010 to blow up an Independence building where his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend lived.

Sentencing hasn't yet been scheduled for his latest convictions.