The Oneida man authorities say they suspect of setting a string of fires in June pleaded guilty to attempted arson this morning in Madison County Court . Michael Allen, 43, of 425 Seneca St., was scheduled to go to trial Nov. 29 to face charges of third-degree arson and fourth-degree criminal mischief. Today he entered the plea to attempted arson...
The Oneida man authorities say they suspect of setting a string of fires in June pleaded guilty to attempted arson this morning in Madison County Court .
Michael Allen, 43, of 425 Seneca St., was scheduled to go to trial Nov. 29 to face charges of third-degree arson and fourth-degree criminal mischief.
Today he entered the plea to attempted arson as part of a deal that will cap his sentence at one to three years in state prison. If convicted on the original charges, he faced five to 15 years incarceration.
The deal also covers any other suspicious fire within four blocks of his home in the last two years.
The city initiated an arson investigation last spring after two fires occurred within two weeks and less than 500 feet from one another:
One, on May 10, destroyed a garage at 421 Seneca St.
The other, on May 21, destroyed a two-story home at 429 Seneca St.
"The longer it went on, the more it seemed to escalate," said Oneida Fire Chief Don Hudson. "Our concern was that someone would get seriously injured or possibly killed."
Allen was arrested on June 4, after city police monitoring the Seneca Street and Bates Avenue area say they watched him leave his house at 425 Seneca St., go next door to 421 Seneca St., and use a lighter to intentionally start a fire to the rear porch lattice.
"It didn’t hurt anything," Allen said this morning in court.
Allen was initially charged with felony arson and 11 counts of reckless endangerment resulting from the hazard caused to emergency personnel who responded.
Gabor said there was not enough evidence to prosecute Allen on the other fires.
Hudson said he worried the plea deal would limit any restitution to the fire department, which incurred "several thousand dollars" in expenses fighting the fires.
Allen will be sentenced by Madison County Judge Dennis McDermott Nov. 17. He is being held without bail at Madison County Jail.