A Birmingham woman has been sentenced to over 11 years in prison for her involvement in an arson incident. The U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Nashville Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz made the announcement.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Kimberly Lanetta Blackmon, aged 39, to a prison term of 135 months following her guilty plea to arson charges in July 2024.
The plea agreement details that on October 18, 2022, Blackmon entered the lobby of an apartment complex located in Birmingham's Lakeview District during the early morning hours. She proceeded to the fourth floor, targeting an apartment she believed was occupied by someone romantically involved with her ex-boyfriend. Blackmon placed an improvised incendiary device at the door of this apartment before fleeing via a stairwell. The device exploded shortly thereafter, causing a fireball that inflicted moderate damage on the door and interior threshold of the apartment.
Although no injuries were reported due to the swift action of the building's sprinkler system extinguishing the fire before it could spread further, nearly $470,000 worth of property damage resulted from Blackmon's actions.
The investigation was conducted by ATF alongside the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Lee Gilmer led the prosecution.