Anne Arundel Man Sentenced To 18 Months After Setting Fire At Neighbor’s Home

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A Severna Park man will serve 18 months behind bars after admitting to setting fire to a neighbor’s unoccupied home earlier this year — an act prosecutors say stemmed from an ongoing dispute over homeowners’ association matters.

In Anne Arundel County Circuit Court on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 60-year-old Aaron Marshall Keel pleaded guilty to first-degree arson for the April 13 blaze that damaged a home on Belhaven Court in Severna Park.

Judge Richard Trunnell sentenced Keel to 20 years in prison, suspending all but 18 months of active incarceration in the Anne Arundel County Detention Center. Keel also waived credit for 169 days previously served and must complete five years of supervised probation upon release.

As part of his probation, Keel must pay $1,000 in restitution toward the victims’ insurance deductible, attend mental health and anger management treatment, and have no contact with the victims. In addition, harassment charges related to earlier incidents were placed on the stet (inactive) docket under the plea agreement.

“The defendant’s actions have wrecked the lives of these victims,” said State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess after the hearing. “The emotional and financial cost, along with a lost sense of security at home and in their neighborhood, has taken a huge toll on this family. I hope that the sentence provides some peace for this family that has suffered terribly as the result of this defendant’s cruel and malicious actions.”

Fire crews responded to the scene around 3 a.m. that April morning to find flames consuming parts of the home’s attic. Investigators later determined that multiple fires had been intentionally set using an external ignition source. The home was under renovation at the time and unoccupied.

Detectives identified Keel through neighborhood surveillance footage, which showed him walking through a wooded area behind the home and later discarding items in a dumpster outside Oak Hill Elementary School. Additional footage from local retailers revealed that Keel had purchased a red gas can and pump sprayer at several home improvement stores the day before the fire.

Investigators believe Keel targeted the property after clashing with one of the homeowners, who served on the local HOA board.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney April Skrenczuk. The investigation involved the Anne Arundel County Police and Fire departments, along with Annapolis City Fire investigators and the explosive ordnance disposal unit.

Judge Trunnell warned Keel that violating probation terms could trigger “significant backup time” from his suspended sentence.

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