June 5, 2023 at 11:35 a.m.
Pleas entered in unsafe burning of building cases; one sentenced
On May 30, Ian P. Anderson, 37, of Rhinelander, entered no contest pleas to two counts of criminal damage to property and one count of unsafe burning of own building.
Pursuant to a plea agreement, a deferred entry of judgment was ordered on the unsafe burning charge, which is a Class H felony.
On the criminal damage to property counts, Anderson was sentenced to 18 months probation with AODA assessment and follow through.
Anderson told retired Oneida County circuit judge Patrick O'Melia, who presided over the sentencing, that the incident served as a wake-up call and he is focused on recovery.
According to a criminal complaint filed Feb. 6, Anderson poured a few drops of a substance that included alcohol onto a board inside his residence in Sugar Camp and used a lighter to set the board on fire.
Anderson told authorities that he set the fire in an effort to drive away "voices" he had been hearing. He said the voices were coming from beneath his home and the nearby woods.
The complaint states that Anderson admitted to using an illicit drug that is known to cause auditory hallucinations.
Firefighters from several local fire departments extinguished the fire.
Later the same day, in an appearance before Oneida County circuit judge Mike Bloom, Chad J. Bambrough, 35, of Rhinelander entered a guilty plea to one count of unsafe burning of own building. A second felony count - arson of a building without owner's consent - was dismissed pursuant to a plea agreement.
A pre-sentence investigation was ordered and sentencing was scheduled for July 27.
According to court records, Bambrough was charged after firefighters from several departments were called to extinguish a fire at his residence in the Town of Crescent.
According to a press release from the Oneida County sheriff's office, a call was received at approximately 3:40 p.m. March 2 regarding a structure fire along U.S. Highway 8 in Crescent.
"Initially, it was unknown if there was anyone else in the building," the release said. "The caller stated that there were flames 10 feet into the air."
By the time first responders arrived, the structure was fully engulfed and deputies later determined the fire was started intentionally.
In the release, the sheriff's department noted that deputies believed the ingestion of illegal drugs was a factor in the incident.
According to the criminal complaint, Bambrough admitted to using methamphetamine and THC in the hours before setting the fire and stated that he had been awake for several days.
Bambrough told investigators he used a lighter to light a piece of paper on fire and then sprayed it with an aerosol air freshener "to get the fire larger."
After the fire started to take off, Bambrough said he took a bottle of olive oil and emptied it on the floor of the residence, believing it to be flammable, the complaint said. He also said he turned on the gas stove in an attempt to strengthen the fire.
According to the complaint, Bambrough stated his intent was to harm himself and he would never have set the fire if anyone else was present.
Comments:
You must login to comment.