A jury found former Tucson businessman Todd Russell Fries guilty Thursday of all charges stemming from a series of incidents in which he terrorized customers of his power-washing business.
Fries, who is in prison after being convicted on federal charges related to this case, faced a 20-count indictment in Pima County Superior Court, including two counts of attempted first-degree murder. He also was accused of arson, kidnapping, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, endangerment and other crimes.
The jury found him guilty of all charges, but changed the arson charge to the lesser offense of reckless burning. The jury also found Fries guilty of endangering two sheriffβs deputies, but the jury lessened the charges from endangerment with risk of imminent death to reckless endangerment.
The attempted-murder charges stem from a 2009 incident in which chlorine tablets mixed with other chemicals were set on fire outside the northwest-side house of Karen and Myles Levine, causing plumes of chlorine to spew into the air.
Fries was the owner of Burns Power Washing.
The previous year, he had worked on the Levinesβ driveway. A dispute over a $500 payment arose between Fries and the Levines.
As a result of the dispute, Fries launched βProject Levine,β which included writing anti-Semitic graffiti on the Levinesβ home, as well as spreading used oil and placing a dead coyote on their driveway, prosecutor Malena Acosta told the jury during closing arguments Tuesday.
Similar tactics were used against another client of Fries, Acosta said. After a search warrant was executed on Friesβ home, authorities found books on revenge that were an βinstruction manual for this case.β
The Levines moved to a different area, but Fries started βLevine β09β and told employees to collect more oil and defecate in buckets to be spread on the Levinesβ property, Acosta said.
Friesβ plan culminated with the chlorine gas devices, which released so much smoke firefighters βsaw cars disappearβ as they approached the house, Acosta said.
The front door was sealed shut, but the Levines were able to get out of the back door, where they found another smoking device.
Sheriffβs deputies responding to the call helped the couple escape over the wall of their backyard. βThey lived just because of a couple of deputies doing their job,β she said.
βWeβre just so happy itβs over, for closure to this,β Karen Levine said after the verdict was announced.
βWe can finally live our lives. Weβve been going through hell for the last eight years,β she said.
Fries is serving a 17-year sentence in federal prison after convictions in 2012 and 2013 for unlawful possession and use of a chemical weapon, providing false information to federal agents, and possession of unregistered destructive devices.
During the state trial, the parties agreed to remove one count each of using a prohibited weapon and animal cruelty, three counts of obstructing a criminal investigation, and two counts of taking the identity of another.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 13.
Defense attorney Richard Bock said after the verdict that he planned to appeal. During closing arguments, Bock said the stateβs case was based on a βwing and prayer.β
The cloud of βmistβ was not lethal, Bock told the jury.
βIβm glad the jury saw the case the way we saw the case, that it was attempted murder,β Acosta said after the verdict.
