CLEARFIELD – Two of the four firefighters who have been accused in two, separate arson cases appeared for their preliminary hearings during Centralized Court on Wednesday at the Clearfield County Jail.
Hunter Thomas Harris, 21, of Philipsburg, has been charged with burglary; two counts of conspiracy/arson; reckless burning or exploding; possession of explosive material; criminal mischief; failure to control/duty; and recklessly endangering another person.
Kenneth Lee Moore IV, 20, of Lanse and Samuel Wilbur Connor V, 19, of Howard have been charged with burglary; conspiracy/arson; arson; reckless burning or exploding; possession of explosive material; criminal mischief; failure to control/duty; and recklessly endangering another person.
Moore waived his charges to the Court of Common Pleas for further disposition. The preliminary hearings for both Connor and Harris have been continued until Dec. 16 at the jail, according to Magisterial District Judge Jerome Nevling.
Cpl. Greg Agosti, fire marshal for the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop C, filed criminal complaints against Harris, Moore and Connor for an Oct. 9 house fire that occurred on Ida Street in Chester Hill Borough.
Agosti filed a separate criminal complaint against Justin Michael Varner, 23, of Osceola Mills for the Sept. 30 fire at the Hertlein Building on Lingle Street in Osceola Mills Borough.
Varner has been charged with two counts of arson; burglary; reckless burning and exploding; possession of explosive material; criminal mischief; criminal trespass; failure to control/duty; and recklessly endangering another person. He also waived all of the charges to court for further disposition.
According to the affidavit of probable cause in the Harris, Connor and Moore cases, on Oct. 9 at approximately 4 a.m., a two-story house fire occurred on Ida Street in Chester Hill Borough and was reported to Clearfield County 911.
Investigators determined that the fire originated in a wooden-framed shed attached to the rear of the house. It then spread throughout the house. No one was inside the house at the time of the fire, which investigators determined to be arson.
Through interviews with the defendants, investigators determined that Harris, Connor and Moore were members of the Hope Volunteer Fire Company in Philipsburg. They also determined that all three allegedly collectively decided to start the fire in order to respond with the fire company and extinguish it.
Investigators determined that the trio of firefighters allegedly gathered hay, cardboard, toilet paper and similar items to create a fuel package in order to ignite the fire. Moore allegedly drove to the area and dropped off Harris and Connor.
Harris allegedly put the fuel package inside the wooden-framed shed and used a lighter to ignite it. The trio then allegedly returned to the fire hall to await dispatch. All three allegedly responded with the fire company to extinguish the fire.
In a separate case against Varner, the affidavit states that on Sept. 30 at approximately 12:45 a.m., a commercial building fire was reported at the Hertlein Building on Lingle Street in Osceola Mills Borough. Investigators determined the fire to be arson.
After an interview with the defendant, investigators determined Varner, a member of the Columbia Fire Company, was walking home when he allegedly realized that the fire company hadn’t had a fire call for a long time.
Varner told investigators he believed that the Hertlein Building was abandoned and an “eye sore in the community.” He allegedly located an unsecured door, entered the building and ignited a pile of cardboard.
Afterward Varner closed the door and returned home. Varner later decided to take a walk. While walking down the street, Varner allegedly informed an officer with the fire company that he smelled smoke and believed the Hertlein Building was on fire.
According to the affidavit, the officer responded to the building with Varner and discovered the fire. The officer immediately called 911. Varner allegedly responded with the fire company to assist in extinguishing the fire.