CLEARFIELD – Former Philipsburg firefighter Kenneth Lee Moore IV, 21, of Lanse pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, arson and other related crimes instead of taking his case to trial Monday morning in Clearfield County Court before Senior Judge David E. Grine of Centre County.
Clearfield County District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. advised the court Moore had tendered an open plea of guilt and terms of the agreement would not permit him to withdraw it at a later time since the commonwealth was prepared to commence his jury trial.
Moore was represented in court by defense attorney Tami Lea Fees of Bellefonte. “It’s not our intention to withdraw the plea later; it’s our full intention to put this behind us,” she said. Grine subsequently accepted Moore’s plea and ordered a pre-sentencing investigation.
The charges against Moore stemmed from an Oct. 9 house fire that occurred on Ida Street in Chester Hill Borough. State police have also charged Hunter Thomas Harris, 22, of Philipsburg and Samuel Wilbur Connor V, 20, of Howard in the case.
Both Harris and Connor have signed plea agreements and are currently awaiting sentencing in their cases, according to Shaw. He declined to comment any further on the case prior to sentencing.
According to the affidavit of probable cause in the Harris, Connor and Moore cases, at approximately 4 a.m. Oct. 9, 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 decided to start the fire in order to respond with the fire company and extinguish it.
Investigators determined that the trio of firefighters gathered hay, cardboard, toilet paper and similar items to create a fuel package in order to ignite the fire. Moore drove to the area and dropped off Harris and Connor.
Harris put the fuel package inside the wooden-framed shed and used a lighter to ignite it. The trio then returned to the fire hall to await dispatch. All three responded with the fire company to extinguish the fire.