ALBUQUERQUE WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL ARSON CHARGE AFTER SETTING MULTIPLE FIRES INSIDE HOTEL STORAGE WAREHOUSE

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An Albuquerque woman has pleaded guilty to a federal arson charge after admitting that she deliberately started multiple fires inside a commercial storage warehouse used by two Albuquerque hotels, causing extensive structural damage and nearly destroying the contents of the building.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, Samantha Lee, 41, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty to arson in connection with the October 14, 2024 fire at a warehouse located on Menaul Boulevard NE.

The facility was being used by the Crowne Plaza Hotel and The Querque Hotel to store furniture, carpeting, kitchen appliances, air-conditioning units, linens, and other hotel-related materials.

Federal prosecutors said Lee maliciously started several separate fires inside the warehouse. The flames spread throughout the structure, causing significant damage and placing nearly everything stored inside at risk of destruction.

Investigators ultimately identified five separate areas of origin inside the warehouse.

Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage collected from nearby businesses. According to court records, the footage showed a woman approaching and placing items near areas where the fires later originated. Investigators traced that woman to Lee.

The case had originally moved through federal court as an allegation.

In January 2026, federal prosecutors announced that Lee had been charged with one count of arson and was being held pending trial. At that stage, she faced a statutory sentencing range of five to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

Her guilty plea changes the legal posture of the case. Lee has now admitted responsibility for the arson, and the matter will proceed to sentencing rather than trial.

Under the plea announced August 28, Lee faces five years in federal prison, followed by as much as three years of supervised release. The Justice Department has not yet publicly announced a sentencing date in its latest release.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department.

ATF has a specialized federal role in investigating arson and explosives offenses, including the collection and analysis of evidence from fire scenes and coordination with state and local investigators. The agency also operates the U.S. Bomb Data Center, which maintains national investigative and intelligence information concerning arson, bombings, and explosives-related crimes.

The case was announced by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of ATF’s Phoenix Field Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case for the District of New Mexico.

The case demonstrates how surveillance footage, fire-scene analysis, and the identification of multiple ignition points can converge in a federal arson investigation. What began as a destructive warehouse fire in October 2024 ultimately led to a federal prosecution and a guilty plea nearly two years later.

Lee’s guilty plea now moves the case into its final phase.

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