Houston Man Sent to Prison for Montgomery County Medical Center Arson Fire

SPRING, TX -- A 55-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for orchestrating the burning of a three-story medical center under construction in southern Montgomery County.

Truong Quoc Duong pleaded guilty March 3 to conspiring to maliciously use explosive materials resulting in personal injury.

On November 21, 2022, Firefighters from the South Montgomery County Fire Department responded to a multi-story commercial building fire near I-45. The two-alarm fire drew a large response from several departments as crews worked to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby businesses. An SMCFD Firefighter received burns and a Ladder Truck was damaged by the intense heat. The building, a medical center under construction, was destroyed and a nearby business was damaged, but several others were saved.

Investigators from the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office and the ATF dug through the collapsed building for several days and determined that the fire had been intentionally set. A complex criminal investigation followed that eventually led to the identification and arrest of two persons responsible for setting the fire.

During the investigation they learned that Duong planned the arson fire in retaliation for a business dispute with the building’s owners. On the night of the fire, Duong drove Jason Rogers to the three-story medical center on Interstate 45 North in Spring and dropped him off near the building. Rogers entered carrying a full backpack and emerged several minutes later without it. The two later met at a nearby restaurant.

At the time of his arrest several months later, Duong was found in possession of five 2-liter bottles filled with gasoline and fitted with an ignition system he had designed. Investigators determined the devices matched those used to set fire to the medical center.

U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal ordered Duong to serve 84 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. Duong was further ordered to pay $3,581,983.67 in restitution.

At the hearing, the court heard about the firefighter’s injuries and damage to the fire truck, neighboring car wash, and the medical center. The court further considered the financial impact on the property owners and their employees, along with Duong’s prior criminal history. Rogers, 41, of Houston, has previously been sentenced for his role.

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