Seattle arsonist ordered to pay $3 million in restitution

SEATTLE -- A Washington appeals court has ruled that a convicted arsonist must pay nearly $3 million in restitution and other legal costs when he's released from prison.

Our news partner The Seattle Times reports that the state Court of Appeals published an opinion Tuesday that blocks Martin Pang from attempting to ignore his financial obligations.

Pang is serving a 20-year prison sentence for setting a massive warehouse fire in 1995 that killed four firefighters. In his motion, Pang argued that the judge who sentenced him in 1998 never asked if he was able to pay restitution.

The Court of Appeals ruled that Pang's motion was untimely.