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A court-martial has been ordered for a San Diego Navy sailor who is accused of setting fire to the USS Bonhomme Richard. According to the Times of San Diego, it was announced on Friday, February 26, that Seaman Ryan Sawyer Mays is charged with arson and willful hazarding of a vessel.
Sawyer allegedly set the July 12, 2020, fire that burned for several days while the warship was docked at Naval Base San Diego. After an Article 32 hearing held last year in a Naval Base San Diego courtroom, evidence was presented to determine whether Mays should face further criminal proceedings.
According to the Times, a Navy statement announced that Vice Adm. Steve Koehler, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet referred charges against Mays for a general court-martial. Prosecutors alleged that Mays was "disgruntled" with the Navy after dropping out of the SEAL training program.
The Times reports that Mays has denied the arson allegations, but other sailors have testified to seeing him enter the ship's Lower V area, which is where investigators say the fire originated, just before the blaze broke out. Mays also denies being in the Lower V that day and said, "that he was being set up."
He is the only person criminally charged in connection with the fire, but a Navy investigation determined that failures regarding training and oversight contributed to the ship's destruction.