RALEIGH — A Columbus County man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for setting fire to a city of Lumberton Housing Authority home last year.

Ah-Shay Nicholson, who lists his residence as being in Chadbourn, pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges related to setting fire to 355 Lee Circle in Lumberton, a Lumbee Home public housing unit, on April 1, 2015. He was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday to be followed by three years of supervised release, and must pay more than $60,000 in restitution.

Nicholson was facing arson charges but the specific indictment refers to him “maliciously causing damage to a building used in interstate commerce.” The charges were adjudicated in U.S. District Court as the Housing Authority receives federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It is the transfer of funds from a federal authority to be used in a local project which defines the “interstate commerce” language of the charge.

A plea agreement was reached and entered into the court record in June, but that document remains sealed.

Nicholson has been detained since his arraignment. He was denied bail on grounds that the government’s case was strong, there was evidence of substance abuse by the defendant and mental health evaluation revealed Nicholson had thoughts of hurting people, according to court documents.