Agrees to a plea deal
An Oneida man plead guilty Thursday morning to attempted arson in Madison County Court.
Michael Allen, 43, of 425 Seneca St., was suspected to have started a string of fires back in June, authorities say.
Allen was scheduled to go to trial Nov. 29 to face charges of third-degree arson and fourth-degree criminal mischief. Originally, Allen would have faced five to 15 years incarceration.
Allen agreed to a plea that would cap his sentence at one to three years in state prison. The deal also states that Allen will not be charged with other suspicious fires within four blocks of his home within the last two years.
How he was caught
Allen was arrested on June 4 after police say they watched him leave his house at 425 Seneca St and go next door to 421 Seneca St. and start a fire to the rear porch.
This fire made Allen a prime suspect for a series of fires in the area that had sparked an investigation last spring.
Oneida Fire Chief Don Hudson said the fires needed to be put to a stop.
"A pattern was escalating to bigger and more aggressive styles of fires. I mean when he set the entire house on fire, I mean now you're looking at a situation where people could have been injured or even killed," said Hudson.
Debate over his plea deal
Though Allen admitted to the arson, Hudson said the plea deal Allen agreed to was bittersweet.
"It's hard for us to, to kind of go along with that. And at the same time it takes away the rights of the people whose homes were damaged because now they don't have the legal ramifications to go after him or his insurance company for damages," said Hudson.
Allen is being held without bail and will be sentenced on Nov. 17 in Madison County Court.
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