PORTLAND, Maine — As the Navy announced it will repair the USS Miami, the case progressed against a former shipyard worker accused of setting fires that caused about $400 million in damage to the nuclear submarine.

Casey James Fury, 24, of Portsmouth, N.H., was charged with two counts of arson after he confessed to setting a four-alarm fire aboard the Los Angeles-class attack submarine May 23 and a second fire in the dry dock June 12. He also said he pulled a fire alarm June 19.

Fury, who worked as a civilian painter at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for the past two years, has been held since his arrest July 20.

On Aug. 14, Magistrate Judge David M. Cohen granted the defense's uncontested request to extend the indictment deadline in order to allow arson experts to have more time to review the evidence.

Fury's attorney, David Beneman, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee, who have both dealt with “significant arson cases in the past” agreed to the request, especially since the government would need to present the matter to a federal grand jury by Wednesday, according to court records.

“Given the complexity of the forensic and evidentiary issues involved, and in particularly the need for a full expert evaluation of the defendant before a determination can be made on resolution pre-indictment, the defense needs additional time to complete the expert evaluation,” Cohen wrote in the order.

On Friday, Navy Lt. Courtney Hillson announced the Navy planned to repair the damaged sub, which has been in dry dock in the shipyard since March. While engineering assessments continue, the fire was contained to forward compartments, thus away from the nuclear reactor, which was shut down during repairs.
jquinn@newstote.com