Former Huntsville resident arrested in deadly 2023 explosion of his home, says DOJ

San Jacinto County: Man charged in deadly 2023 house fire

According to the FBI, the suspect is accused of hiring two people to set his house on fire so he could file an insurance claim. The two died in the fire.

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - A man who used to live in Hunstville has been arrested for the deadly, explosive fire that happened at his Huntsville home, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Huntsville, TX: Man arrested for deadly 2023 house explosion

What we know:

The DOJ says Mario Raynard Roberson, a 52-year-old who has since moved to Missouri, was arrested in the Houston area.

Roberson has been charged with the following:

• Conspiracy to commit arson against a property used in interstate or foreign commerce resulting in death
• Federal conspiracy to commit arson charge
• Nine counts of wire fraud
• Conspiracy to violate the Travel Act to the use of an interstate facility, the telephone, to commit arson

A federal grand jury in Houston allegedly returned the 12-count indictment on July 1.

The charges accuse Roberson of being responsible for the June 2023 house fire that killed two people. According to the DOJ, Roberson held an insurance policy on the home, and he recruited two other people to set the home on fire so he could file an insurance claim.

The two people reportedly died while starting the fire.

If convicted, Roberson faces up to 20 years on each charge. He could also be ordered to pay a fine of up to $250,000.