A former U.S. Marine who was jailed for five years in Japan for a series of arson attacks was arrested on Tuesday in connection with a series of fires in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. Authorities said Kurt Billie, 34, was detained in the act of setting fire to a mobile home, LA police said, adding that they suspect he is responsible for at least 20 other fires in the area last month.
According to investigators, Billie was jailed in Okinawa in 2001 after being convicted of setting fire to several restaurants and bars there.
© AP
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BlueWitch
who was jailed for five years in Japan for a series of arson attacks
What?! A mere 5 year sentence for multiple arson? This can't be right...
ExportExpert
The song by prodigy comes to mind,
this guy has serious issues to be doing this again.
ebisen
Here you have, ladies and gentlemen a first class nutcase.
CrazyJoe
He was tried and convicted in a Japanese court after being found guilty of burning seven restaurants and bars on Okinawa in two separate arson attacks in January 2001 when he was a 24-year-old Marine lance corporal stationed at Camp Hansen.
whiskeysour
firebug he loves fire.
miyazawa3
BlueWitch... You know He is a Marine...He is American ...We can not go against them...they rule Okinawa...
johninnaha
We don't need any more of these.
Let's close the bases.
Time to go home, US military.
Elbuda Mexicano
One idiot fool Marine, is what it is, this fool has problems, mental problems, and that does give a black eye to the CORPS but just because one idiot fool does this kind of crime does not mean the rest of Marines are all ready to set your trailer on fire. I hope this dork gets put not just behind bars, but in a mental institute ASAP.
TokyoGas
This guy has problems.
DNHen
It doesn't matter what nationality or military branch, the world has people with issues. Those issues do not reflect the behavior and opinions of military branches or parent nations as a whole. This one man committed crimes. Punishment and corrective therapies are the consequences of his actions.
nath
Burn him at the stake
yabits
Semper Fi-er
Kevin Lee Brooke
@BlueWitch
What are you talking about? Parents who murder their own children in Japan generally get between 5 & 6 years of prison on average. Why would you expect more for multiple arson where no one died?
Granted, he's a nutter, but would you expect him to get a longer sentence than that of the offense mentioned above because he is not Japanese (harsher punishments for foreigners), or because you think arson with no deaths is worse than murdering one's own child?
Let's at least try to be consistent here.
Stephen Jez
@BlueWitch: It's Japan, land of the suspended sentence, what else did you expect?
Fadamor
@miyazawa3,
Correction. He WAS a marine. I'm sure after he served his five-year sentence in Japan he was dishonorably discharged when he was then shuttled back into the U.S.
So what sentence would YOU have preferred for multiple counts of arson?
@Johninnaha,
The U.S. bases in Japan have nothing to do with this article about an American CIVILIAN arrested for setting fires in LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A . This nutcase would never have been stationed overseas had they known of his problem before sending him there.
You don't need any more hit and runs, either, so does that mean you support the banning of all vehicles in Japan? Knifings and slashings are constantly in the Japan news, so are you advocating the banning of all devices with an edged blade on them? Murders committed by Japanese nationals are an almost daily occurance in Japan and you certainly don't need more of those, so I guess you're advocating the removal of all Japanese from the country as well, right?
Jimny1216
@Johninnaha, If you really are in Naha then you should vividly remember the Okinawan man who was just recently jailed for the string of fires he set in Urasoe...what should be done with him? Exiled to Antartica maybe? Every country has firebugs it's a mental problem. This just made news because the guy was jailed for it here before, and he was prior military. Food for thought......how many articles do you see pop up about thefts, groping, rape, etc. committed by Japanese police or JSDF personnel? Also have you ever talked to anyone that has been in a Japanese prison? I know two personally. And am close friends with one guard. The biggest percentage of foreigners jailed here are not Americans, in fact they are the least. They get the media attention because the military is here.
@miyazawa3,
Jimny1216
More than likely the idiot firebug got more than five years also. After he was released from Japanese jail he was probably sentenced to time also in military prison. Because going to jail is not authorized leave. Most military courts will charge someone who was put in jail as being AWOL. (Absent Without Leave) Then they would be dishonorably discharged.
Ayler
I suppose they let a few crooks and lunatics slip throught the net as much as any other profession. or maybe it was post combat stress the poor little love
sdbri
Yeah as crazy as he is, he's not as bad as parents who murder their children. A lot of countries have sentencing problems like this in prioritizing crime.
Novenachama
Unfortunately this marine did not learn his lesson and he desperately needs psychotherapy and behavior therapy to get to the roots of his anti-social behavior. Maybe he needs to be confined in a mental facility until he is better. Although we don't know exactly what his motives are, sometimes it can be complex. People commit arson for a variety of reasons. Arson puts lives and property at risk therefore the crime is suppose to be severely punished. If someone dies, it's considered to be murder rather than a manslaughter or negligent homicide. Hence in this marine's case the prison term didn't help him out at all.
BlueWitch
**JapanHuskerAug. 03, 2011 - 10:06PM JST
@BlueWitch
What are you talking about? Parents who murder their own children in Japan generally get between 5 & 6 years of prison on average. Why would you expect more for multiple arson where no one died?
Granted, he's a nutter, but would you expect him to get a longer sentence than that of the offense mentioned above because he is not Japanese (harsher punishments for foreigners), or because you think arson with no deaths is worse than murdering one's own child?
Let's at least try to be consistent here. **
@JapanHusker
huh? What did I do? I was just shocked that he got 5 years!! Especially in a land where all you get are "SUSPENDED SENTENCES" for killing your children or a mere "Slap in the wrist" for raping a woman. Those who get 5~6 year sentences for Child Murder as the very minority, with a long previous history of inflicting child abuse. Mostly, "first time offenders" get away scot-free with a shameless suspended sentence because "corrupted judges" in this country think they can be somehow rehabilitated. You give the judicial system too much credit. Just because I'm a local doesn't mean I expect Foreigners to get harsher punishment as you implied. In fact, it makes me sick to my stomach that Child(parents!) Murderers and Rapists are given so much leniency and given a joke of a sentence. If these scum were in China, they'd be shot in the back of their head.
Justice in here is dirty and corrupted. Sentences are a joke and still they insist in keeping the archaic/draconian Death Penalty which has been proven to NOT deter crime at all, actually, getting more victims killed in order to prevent ID their attackers.
So please, before you "assume" something about me, get to know me better through my posts. The government is garbage and the kempeitai keystone kops are make things worse.
Don't judge the book by looking at its cover~~~ =)
Jimny1216
30+ ? Most bases changed hands and names. And others were housing only. Provide a link to show us 30+ base closings since 1972 please. This is 10 years old, but this guy did some good research. http://www.virtualokinawa.com/about_okinawa/articles/economy.html
I don't care if the bases leave, I do care about my family, my friends, and my neighbors losing jobs and business in this day and age. And you said develop? Today...with what money.....with literally thousands becoming uemployed on top of the already uncontrolled unemployment? And with no assistance from Tokyo?
Asagao
Classic example of the failure of the prison system. This guy has mental issues and should be in a psychiatric hospital.
realdoll
It's not the first time that someone busted and jailed (or free'd) for some crime in Okinawa later got jailed for a felony stateside. Funny that when in Okinawa though, the american on the street defended him and verbally attacked the Okinawans as racists etc.. the gaijin easily forgets that the reason they loved Okinawa soo much is because of the low crime rate by the native islanders.
nath
@realdoll We have a disturbed individual here and that is it. Anyone would defend their friend or country man if there was no clear evidence at the time.
shanabelle
The sentence of five years does sound very light...now if he had started those fires with a joint here JP..he'd be locked up for decades. The sentences here are light on everything, bar drugs!
warnerbro
Somebody's off his meds again.