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…