A Dorchester man has been sentenced to prison after admitting to setting fires in both Suffolk and Middlesex counties in an act of domestic violence, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan, and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey announced.

ALFRED JORDAN (D.O.B.4/9/81) on Thursday pleaded guilty to arson and four counts of attempted murder resulting from offenses committed in Middlesex County and arson, attempted murder, and two counts each of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery for offenses committed in Suffolk County on March 28, 2013.

Suffolk Superior Court Judge Laurence Pierce sentenced the defendant to eight years to eight years and one day in state prison followed by five years of probation, during which time Jordan must undergo mental health evaluation and treatment, drug abuse evaluation and treatment, be subject to random drug screening, complete a certified batterers intervention program, and stay away from the victims and the locations of the fires which he admitted to setting. Suffolk Assistant District Attorney Lynn Feigenbaum and Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Dunigan had jointly requested a prison term of 14 to 15 years.

Had the case proceeded to trial, prosecutors would have presented evidence to prove that Jordan and the victim, who were in a dating relationship, were at a bar in Chelsea on the night of March 27, 2013.  As they left the bar early the next morning, Jordan spat on and pushed the victim, and the two separated.  The victim got a ride to the Washington Avenue apartment of a mutual friend.  The evidence would have shown that Jordan later arrived at the apartment, where he hit, kicked, and dragged the victim by her foot down a flight of stairs.  A mutual friend pulled Jordan off of the victim twice during the altercation before Jordan left.

Later that morning, Jordan returned to the Chelsea apartment and set fire to the five-unit apartment building. Chelsea Fire Department responded to the scene.

A witness observed Jordan outside the building and informed him that the victim had left prior to the fire.  The victim had walked to the home of a friend on Elm Street in Everett. The defendant then went to that building and when the victim would not answer his calls he set fire to that building.

At 6:00 a.m., Everett firefighters responded to the Elm Street address where the victim was staying and three other tenants were sleeping.

An investigation by State Troopers assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Everett and Chelsea Fire Departments and Police Departments determined that both fires had been intentionally set using an accelerant.

Jordan was located at the scene of the Everett fire and arrested on an unrelated warrant.  The vehicle he was driving that morning and the prior evening was towed from the scene and searched with the consent of the owner, who was a relative of Jordan.  Inside the vehicle, investigators discovered a gas station receipt for a plastic gasoline container and a small amount of gas; it was time-stamped 5:10 a.m. that date.  An accelerant detecting dog that was present at both fires also took part in the search of the vehicle alerted to the presence of a liquid accelerant the front passenger’s seat floor mat.

Jordan later made statements to State Police investigators admitting that he had set both fires.

“This defendant risked the lives of everyone in those buildings, as well as the firefighters who responded.  Thanks to the cooperative efforts of all of the agencies involved, we were able to build the strongest case possible in order to hold the defendant accountable,” Conley said.

“Angry at his girlfriend, this Defendant set fire to two homes.  Residents lost their homes and possessions and this reckless conduct could have swiftly caused injury of death to the occupants or the responding emergency personnel,” said District Attorney Ryan.

State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said, “The great teamwork between two District Attorneys, two fire departments, two police departments and the State Police assigned to my agency led to this conviction of a man who tried to kill a woman three times in one night, twice by fire.”

The victims of any crime, including domestic violence, should call 911 in an emergency. SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24 hours a day in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601. It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages.

The victim-witness advocate assigned in Suffolk County was Jennifer Sears.  The victim-witness advocate assigned in Middlesex County was Danielle DeMeo. Jordan was represented by John Tardif and Michael Casey.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.