Iron County man pleads guilty to arson, assaulting U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer

(KBSI) – An Iron County man pleaded guilty to charges related to an October crime spree that included arsons in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri and the assault of a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer.

Lucas G. Henson, 37, pleaded guilty on March 21 to assaulting a law enforcement officer, arson and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Henson was out on bond after being charged with stealing and drug offenses last year. He stole a Ford van on Oct. 22, 2022 from Patriot Rentals near Poplar Bluff before abandoning it when it ran out of gas, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Missouri.

Later that day he broke into a camper at Poplar Bluff RV Sales and stole items from it, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The next day, he stole a Dodge pickup truck, then burglarized someone’s home and stole a Ruger LC9 9mm handgun. He also stole a crossbow from a workshop near the home, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

When the truck’s owner found Henson, Henson pointed the pistol at the truck’s owner and drove away. Law enforcement officers joined the chase after they were notified by the truck’s owner.

Henson crashed the truck in Mark Twain National Forest. Then he started a fire and burned the handgun and the items that he’d stolen from the camper before fleeing into the forest, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Law enforcement officers tracked Henson with dogs. When they got close, he started a fire to avoid being captured. He started a second fire when they approached him again. Later, he pointed the crossbow at a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer and other officers, before crossing the Black River and running away again. Henson was eventually caught near the river. He admitted his crimes in interviews with officers, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The fires burned a total of 7.61 acres of land. Burn orders were in effect at the time due to the dry and windy conditions. The fired that Henson started kept leaping over the fire lines established by firefighters. Crews had to construct “dozer lines” to contain the fire. They spent $7,228 fighting the fires.

Henson is scheduled to be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau on June 28. The assault charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The arson charge carries a mandatory minimum of seven  years with a maximum of 20 years and the gun charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. All charges also carry a possible fine up to $250,000.

The U.S. Forest Service, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.

Related story: Iron County man indicted on charges of starting fires in Mark Twain National Forest