JACKSON – A former federal attorney has been arrested and charged with arson after a building fire and a dumpster fire were reported early Friday on Hartsfield Street, according to the Jackson Fire Department.
Jackson firefighters responded around 12 a.m. Feb. 27 to 555 Hartsfield St. for a reported building fire and dumpster fire. Fire crews arrived and found two separate fires, the department said.
After the fires were extinguished, a fire investigator was called to the scene. Investigators spoke with Capitol Police, who had a suspect detained.
The Jackson Fire Department Arson Division arrested Yoder George McDowell III and charged him with two counts of arson.
Yoder George McDowell III is a former federal attorney.
According to the Laurel Leader Call, he had been previously arrested in 2023 on arson charges. He was also first arrested in 2021, according to WDAM, for residential burglary and faced multiple charges from 2021-2023. He is no longer allowed to practice law by the MS Bar Association, according to WDAM.
Officials said McDowell is charged with first-degree arson related to the Yana Club and third-degree arson related to the dumpster. Authorities said the fires caused damage to the Yana Club and the dumpster. No injuries were reported.
The department said McDowell is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Friday at 10:30 a.m. at 327 E. Pascagoula St.
