Man found guilty for arson after setting fire at Hawaii Supreme Court building

A 54-year-old man has been found guilty of first-degree arson for setting a fire at the Hawaii Supreme Court last year.

On Thursday an Oahu jury found Eric Stroeve guilty on one count of arson related to the incident. In the early morning hours on May 10, 2021, Stroeve set fire to double koa wood doors of Aliiolani Hale, home of the Supreme Court, causing $55,000 worth of damage to the doors and more than $800,000 in total damage done to the doors, carpeting, security access station and for fire and smoke remediation.

“Arson is an extremely dangerous crime as fires can spread quickly and unpredictably,” said Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm in a statement. “This attack on one of the most historic buildings in our State, home to one of the branches of our State government, must be met with stiff punishment and we will be asking the Court to sentence Stroeve to the maximum prison term.”

Stroeve is in custody at the Oahu Community Correctional Center pending his sentencing, which is scheduled for Oct. 20.

First-degree arson is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.