Posted 03:07 PM from the Daily Record newsroom
Guilty verdict in Chester Township hermitage arson
By Peggy Wright, Daily Record
A 42-year-old man with prior convictions for setting blazes and calling in false alarms in Middlesex County was found guilty Thursday of setting fire to two cabins at the Bethlehem Hermitage in Chester Township.
A Morris County jury found Richard Meleski Jr. guilty of two counts of arson on April 9, 2001, but acquitted him of the more serious charge of aggravated arson, which required proof that he specifically intended to burn down the structures. The jury instead found that he started the fires that recklessly put the buildings in jeopardy.
Because of his previous convictions, Meleski faces sentencing on July 11 as a persistent offender and could receive a punishment of up to 15 years in state prison.
Although Meleski gave police a confession, he claimed at trial that he falsely took the blame for the fires because he believed the hermitage director, Rev. Eugene Romano, wanted him to confess and would allow him to resume living at the religious center if he admitted to the fires
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Oh yeah. The guy is a former volunteer fire fighter.
Guilty verdict in Chester Township hermitage arson
By Peggy Wright, Daily Record
A 42-year-old man with prior convictions for setting blazes and calling in false alarms in Middlesex County was found guilty Thursday of setting fire to two cabins at the Bethlehem Hermitage in Chester Township.
A Morris County jury found Richard Meleski Jr. guilty of two counts of arson on April 9, 2001, but acquitted him of the more serious charge of aggravated arson, which required proof that he specifically intended to burn down the structures. The jury instead found that he started the fires that recklessly put the buildings in jeopardy.
Because of his previous convictions, Meleski faces sentencing on July 11 as a persistent offender and could receive a punishment of up to 15 years in state prison.
Although Meleski gave police a confession, he claimed at trial that he falsely took the blame for the fires because he believed the hermitage director, Rev. Eugene Romano, wanted him to confess and would allow him to resume living at the religious center if he admitted to the fires
______________________________________________
Oh yeah. The guy is a former volunteer fire fighter.
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