Mobile man charged with six counts of arson

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - After a nine month investigation, local authorities said they've found the person responsible for setting fires at several adult entertainment clubs in the area.

The arrest was a result of a joint effort by Mobile Fire Rescue and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Authorities said Judson Eugene Tuggle, a.k.a. "Worm," set fires at three adult entertainment clubs: Club Casino, The Candy Store and The Platinum Club.

"The intent was to set a fire to burn the place down," said Steve Huffman with Mobile Fire Rescue.

Huffman said the suspect started the fires in bathrooms.

Officials said two employees - one at The Candy Store and the other at Club Casino - were injured trying to put the fires out. Tuggle is facing six counts of arson after being indicted by a federal grand jury.

"Obviously, there was an issue with these particular types of clubs," said Huffman.

Officials have not released a motive for the fires, and Huffman believes there could have been others.

"We think there may be additional fires that didn't get reported or that we were called to because they were small and handled in house," Huffman said. "If that’s' the case, we'd like to hear from those places."

The arson charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. However, because three of the charges are as a result of people being hurt, the suspect is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years if convicted.