A Rockville man who pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder after setting fire to an occupied Montgomery Village apartment building has been sentenced to serve 25 years in prison.
On Thursday, June 25, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Eric Johnson sentenced 36-year-old Robert Simms to 45 years in prison, suspending all but 25 years to serve, followed by five years of supervised probation upon his release. Simms pleaded guilty on February 5, 2026, to attempted first-degree murder and three counts of reckless endangerment.
According to prosecutors, Simms intentionally set fire to an apartment in the 18300 block of Feathertree Way on April 4, 2025. Investigators determined that the fire was set at the apartment’s front door, blocking the residence’s only exit while four occupants were inside. The occupants were forced onto a balcony until the building’s sprinkler system contained the fire.
Investigators detected gasoline at the scene, and surveillance video reportedly showed Simms carrying a red gasoline container toward the apartment moments before a large flash and fire erupted. Prosecutors said Simms had threatened one of the occupants earlier that day after being asked to leave the residence, telling her he would return later.
The fire caused an estimated $375,000 in damage and left the victim’s apartment uninhabitable.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Margot Wenzel and Adrienne Ferrell. The investigation involved the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, Montgomery County Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Maryland State Police Forensic Laboratory.
“The defendant’s actions were terrifying. He endangered the lives of many innocent people,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said in a statement. “The defendant set a fire during the day inside an occupied apartment building containing multiple residential units. This lengthy sentence is appropriate, and we are gratified by Judge Johnson’s handling of this matter.”
