Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King has announced the sentencing of Nexus Christian, 50, from Durant, Oklahoma. Christian was involved in a commercial structure fire on July 4, 2023, in Upson County.
The office previously released a press statement seeking public assistance to identify the individual responsible for the fire on South Church Street in Thomaston. Following an extensive multi-state effort, Christian was apprehended by the Pittsburgh County Sheriff’s Office in Oklahoma after fleeing Georgia.
On January 7, 2025, Christian pled guilty to charges including two counts of Arson in the First Degree, one count of Arson in the Second Degree, and one count of Insurance Fraud. A judge from the Griffin Judicial Circuit Upson County Superior Court sentenced him to a total of 20 years for his actions related to the fire incident in Thomaston. He will serve three years in prison with credit for time already served and spend the remaining years on probation.
As part of his sentence, Christian is required to pay a $5,000 fine and is subject to a restraining order that prohibits him from entering parts of Upson, Fayette, Pike, and Spalding Counties within the Griffin Judicial circuit area.
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