A Sanford man who admitted to setting fire to the multi-unit rental property he was living in has pleaded guilty.

49-year-old Thomas McGinn confessed to starting the fire at the building on Spruce St. on May 5, 2021. He pleaded guilty to arson Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland.

McGinn, who used gasoline and lighter fluid to spread the flames, told investigators it was his intention to burn the building down.

Firefighters were able to save the structure from collapsing. The unit where McGinn was living took the most significant damage.

McGinn faces a sentence of at least five years and a fine up to $250,000.