WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An Indiana man who was charged last February with setting fire to seven churches in southern Indiana was indicted today for setting fire to three additional churches in northern Georgia, one of which resulted in the death of a firefighter, federal officials from the National Church Arson Task Force (NCATF) announced today.

Federal grand juries in Atlanta and Indianapolis returned indictments late this afternoon against Jay Scott Ballinger, 36, a resident of Yorktown, Indiana. In Indianapolis, a twelve count indictment formally charged Ballinger with setting the fires in Indiana. A grand jury in Atlanta returned a seven count indictment against him for setting three additional fires in northern Georgia.

"Today's indictments represent the largest number of church fires charged to any single defendant since the formation of the National Church Arson Task Force," said Treasury Undersecretary for Enforcement and Task Force co-chair James E. Johnson. "These charges are a tribute to the ongoing cooperative efforts by the men and women of the task force as well as the law enforcement personnel and prosecutors who have worked with them."

According to the affidavit filed last February, law enforcement officials in Indiana were investigating a series of church arsons in southern Indiana and interviewed Ballinger after he sought medical attention for burns suffered earlier that month. That interview led to Ballinger's arrest. Using information from the original interview, and after further investigation, law enforcement officials determined that Ballinger was also responsible for the three fires in Georgia. Ballinger remains in federal custody.

"These fires may have scorched the structures, but we cannot let them sear the spirit of the communities where they have occurred," said Bill Lann Lee, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and co-chair of the Task Force. "We remain deeply concerned about fires at houses of worship and are fully committed to bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to justice. We will not let up."

The seven Indiana churches that Ballinger is accused of burning include: Concord Church of Christ in Boone County; Liberty Baptist Church in Tipton County; Hawcreek Missionary Baptist Church in Bartholomew County; Grace Baptist Church in Hendricks County; Ebenezer Presbyterian Church in Rush County; Bethel Mission Baptist Church in Putnam County; and, Christian Liberty Church in Boone County.

It also is alleged that last December, Ballinger set fire to three churches in Georgia: the Amazing Grace Baptist Church, in Chatsworth; the Mountain View Baptist Church in Chatsworth; and the New Salem United Methodist Church in Commerce. As a result of the fire at the New Salem Baptist Church, one volunteer firefighter died and three others were injured.

Under the statute charged in the Atlanta indictment, the minimum penalty if Ballinger is convicted on all offenses is fifty years in federal prison. Because the fire in Commerce resulted in one death, Ballinger could also be subject to the death penalty. If convicted of all charges in Indiana, Ballinger could face a minimum of 90 years in prison and a maximum of 210 years in prison. He also faces a maximum fine of $3,000,000.

Johnson and Lee both noted that today's announcement is the result of long hours of concerted effort by prosecutors, agents and officers from many law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Attorney's offices in the Northern District of Georgia and the Southern District of Indiana, the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division, the ATF, the FBI, and many more state and local agencies.

The National Church Arson Task Force, which was established by President Clinton in June 1996, continues to investigate arsons at houses of worship as part of its ongoing efforts. The NCATF represents a coordinated effort of local, state and federal agencies, led by the Departments of Justice and Treasury, to investigate and prosecute arson attacks on houses of worship, as well as assist communities in the wake of the fires. The other federal agencies include HUD, the FBI, the ATF, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Community Relations Service.

The Task Force remains committed to expending the time, resources and effort necessary to solve these crimes. To date, the NCATF has opened investigations into 752 arsons, bombings and attempted bombings that occurred at houses of worship since January 1, 1995. Federal, state and local authorities have arrested 331 suspects in connection with 249 of the 752 incidents. The NCATF's 34% arrest rate is more than double the rate of arson arrests nationwide.

The charges contained in the indictments are only allegations of guilt and are not proof of any crime. The defendant is presumed innocent and retains that presumption unless and until a verdict of guilt is returned by a court or jury.

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