Huntsville homeowner allegedly orchestrated racist graffiti, deadly arson, to get insurance money

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (KTRK) -- A man who alleged a hate crime at his property in 2023 has been detained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Agents with the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety arrested Mario Roberson Thursday morning.

Roberson is facing twelve charges linked to a June 2023 deadly arson at his rental property in Huntsville, and could possibly spend his life in prison.

ABC13 first reported on Roberson in May 2023 after he claimed racist graffiti had been spray-painted on the home. He implied alleged racism in the neighborhood's HOA was to blame for the incident, which he went on to speak about in a press conference.

An unsealed federal indictment alleges Roberson orchestrated both the graffiti and deadly arson in a bungled attempt to collect insurance money. The document states Roberson allegedly hired a relative to carry out the arson, who enlisted two other men to assist.

The video above is from a previous post.

The timeline provided in the documents states the following:

• Feb. 2023: Roberson purchased additional rental insurance at Piney Point locations
• May 9, 2023: Roberson spoke to the media, stating his home had been vandalized, "knowing that his property damage had been deliberately commissioned or caused by him."
• 2023: At some point in the year, he allegedly recruited and commissioned someone to deliberately set fire to the home on Piney Point.
• June 10, 2023: Three people enter the home and set it on fire.

Two of the three men, including Roberson's relative, were killed in the purported arson attempt. The third man ran from the home on fire.

In body camera video obtained by ABC13, the man told law enforcement it was a "numbers job." A number's job, according to law enforcement, is commonly used to describe insurance fraud.

Body camera video obtained by ABC13 also shows Roberson citing the May report from ABC13 at the scene of the fire, when further implicating his HOA while speaking to law enforcement.

"I accused them on 13. On the news. I let them know who I thought it was and the reasons why," Roberson said at the time.

On the day of the fire, Eyewitness News also sat down with Roberson in the living room of his Cypress home, where he said, "racism, power, hungriness, money, has gotten us to this place."

Roberson said he did not know who was deceased inside his home.

Roberson now faces 12 counts ranging from wire fraud, conspiracy to commit arson, to conspiracy to violate the Travel Act.

For more updates on this story, follow Shannon Ryan on Facebook, X and Instagram.

SEE ALSO:

Racial slur graffitied on Huntsville homeowner's door amid tensions with neighborhood association

2 bodies found in Huntsville home that burned down 1 month after being painted with racial slurs

Huntsville homeowner believes 1 of the 2 people killed at his home was a relative

Huntsville home being seized by San Jacinto County a month prior to deadly fire, records show