Albany Man Charged With Arson Of Veterans Medical Center

The culprit of an attempted arson in Albany has been arrested. The attempt itself likely would have harmed multiple injured or sick veterans, but has since been taken care of.

So what happened?

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The Incident

this all started over a fire. Specifically, a fire was set Samuel S. Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, located at 113 Holland Avenue in Albany, New York. The fire was started in a restricted storage space, causing $77,490 in damage to the facility.

Samuel S Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albany

As a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, this fire could have threatened the lives and livelihood of any and all patients at the facility. Thankfully, no such injuries were reported.

Arsonist Caught

Marcasey Ventour, a 28 year old from Albany was found to be behind the incident. It's unclear at this time if this was malicious, an accident, or somewhere in between. Ventour was sentenced on July 17, 2026 to five years in prison.

As part of Ventour's guilty plea, he admitted that he started the fire, will have to pay restitution for the costs he raised in damages, and must serve a two-year term of post-release supervision. Ventour will spend his incarceration in federal prison for the crime.

Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office said: "This case underscores the VA OIG’s commitment to protecting veterans, VA employees, and federal property, e will continue to pursue those who threaten the safety and integrity of VA facilities."

The Department of Veterans Affairs claims that no matter the motive, "Mr. Ventour showed reckless disregard for both staff and the veterans receiving care when he started this fire, and now will be held accountable.”