Atlantic County Man Sentenced To State Prison For Arson

Monday, May 19, 2025, 10:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

SOMERS POINT, NJ.- On Thursday, May 15, 2025, Atlantic County Prosecutor William E. Reynolds reported that Deshaun Howard, 24, of Somers Point, New Jersey, appeared in Atlantic County Superior Court and was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Bernard E. DeLury to three years in New Jersey State Prison for his previously entered guilty plea to second-degree Aggravated Arson in connection with a house fire that occurred in March 2022 in Somers Point, New Jersey.

     In handing down the sentence on Thursday, Judge DeLury ordered the sentence to be subject to the No Early Release Act, which will require Howard to serve 85% of his custodial term before becoming eligible for parole. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Howard will also serve an additional three years of parole.

Sentence Stems From An Arson Investigation

     The guilty plea and sentence stem from an investigation that began on March 23, 2022, when shortly before 4:00 a.m., members of the Somers Point Police Department and the Somers Point Fire Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting a fire at a Somers Point residence.

     Upon arrival, Police Officers and First Responders found the deck on the rear of the house engulfed in flames and another part of the house on fire as well. Three people were inside the home at the time and were all able to escape without injury. The investigation led Police to charge Howard and another individual, Faith Tompkins. The charges against Tompkins remain pending in Atlantic County Superior Court in Mays Landing, New Jersey.

     During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, the victim gave a statement telling the court of the emotional and mental impact the fire had on the family, the fear they felt when they woke up to their house on fire with their children and pets inside, and how they never thought anyone would try to kill them.