A man from New York state who thought he was being chased by the FBI is accused of setting fire to his vehicle in a field in Prospect.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Steven D. Gierlach, 42, of Ithaca, N.Y., after state police filed charges Friday, including felonies of reckless burning, agricultural vandalism and criminal mischief, as well as misdemeanors defiant trespassing, DUI and disorderly conduct.

According to charging documents, police were called around 5:58 p.m. Dec. 23 to Country Lane Road, where a property owner said there was a vehicle on fire with its driver standing near it.

At the scene, police said Gierlach told officer he had driven through multiple fields before setting the fire himself. Gierlach told officers he used a lighter on a T-shirt to start the fire on the red 2005 convertible Ford Mustang.

"Gierlach related that he was being chased by the FBI and had set the vehicle on fire to avoid being killed by an FBI sniper," said the lead investigator in the affidavit.

Police said the fire caused significant damage to the crop field it was in. Police said beyond the story about the FBI, Gierlach also appeared confused about his location.

"Gierlach was then asked if he was on any drugs, and he responded, 'Absolutely,'" police said.

Police said Gierlach admitted to using meth, and later blood tests confirmed the drug was in his system at the time of the events.

Once arrested, Gierlach will be arraigned and scheduled for a preliminary hearing.