Man sentenced to 8 years for arson, copper theft in 2024 Morris County warehouse fire

BOONTON, N.J. (Morris County) — An Essex County man has been sentenced to eight years in state prison for setting fire to a Boonton warehouse in 2024 and stealing more than $200,000 worth of copper materials, authorities announced Friday.

Davon Fields, 46, of Newark was sentenced on July 11 by Superior Court Judge Ralph E. Amirata to an eight-year term in New Jersey State Prison, including four years of parole ineligibility. Fields had previously pleaded guilty on June 2 to charges of second-degree aggravated arson, third-degree burglary, third-degree theft, and third-degree criminal mischief.

According to Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, the charges stem from a fire reported on the evening of November 3, 2024, at a commercial warehouse located at 95 Fulton Street.

Responding units from the Boonton Police and Fire Departments observed fire in the main warehouse as well as in a separately leased area used by a pharmaceutical supply company. The two-alarm blaze was extinguished with assistance from mutual aid fire companies in surrounding communities.

Investigators identified multiple points of origin, a strong odor of petroleum, and recovered a gasoline-type canister nozzle from the scene, suggesting the fire had been intentionally set. Surveillance footage also showed two masked individuals entering the warehouse shortly before the fire began.

Authorities later determined that approximately $233,000 worth of copper materials had been removed from equipment inside the warehouse. The investigation revealed that Fields, who served as the warehouse manager, was at the site on both November 1 and November 3, and had sold large quantities of copper at a scrapyard on November 1 and 2.

Fields was arrested and charged on January 13, 2025.

Prosecutor Carroll commended the investigative efforts of the Boonton Police Department, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Arson and Environmental Crimes Unit, with support from the Special Operations Division and High Tech Crimes Unit.

“This case involved a considerable amount of forensic evidence, both physical and digital,” Carroll said. “This went far beyond a straightforward fire, and I applaud the collaborative work that ensured the defendant was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”