By Associated Press
Birmingham, AL – Three men charged with setting fire to nine rural Alabama churches in February will plead guilty to federal charges in the arson case. The information is contained in a federal court document filed today in Birmingham. U-S Magistrate Judge John Ott said Matthew Cloyd, Russell Lee Debusk and Benjamin Nathan Moseley, all Birmingham college students when arrested, will change their pleas to guilty in a court appearance Wednesday. The plea proceeding before Federal Judge R. David Proctor is on federal conspiracy and arson charges in the string of five church fires in Bibb County on February third and four in west Alabama on February seventh. The three defendants also face state arson counts in Bibb, Pickens, Greene and Sumter counties. Efforts have been made by defense attorneys to reach a plea agreement on the state charges.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)