By Bob Laylo
Morning Call (Pennsylvania)
Copyright 2006 The Morning Call, Inc.
Three Kidder Township volunteer firefighters, including the fire chief’s brother, agreed Wednesday to plead guilty to felony charges for starting fires in the community.
The men, Louis J. Troell, 20, of East Side; Ronald G. Kearns, 19, of Dennison Township, Luzerne County, and John Kehler, 26, of White Haven, Luzerne County, reached the plea bargains at the office of District Judge Joseph Homanko in Weatherly, where they had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing.
They are scheduled to enter the pleas on Aug. 17 in Carbon County Court.
Kehler agreed to plead guilty to two counts of arson and one count of possession of explosive devices. Troell will plead guilty to one count each of arson and possession of explosive devices. Kearns will plead guilty to one count each of arson and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief.
The plea bargains leave sentencing at the discretion of a judge who will hear the cases.
“I think it’s a fair resolution,” Carbon County Assistant District Attorney William E. McDonald said.
According to arrest affidavits: The three men, while sitting at the firehouse on May 21, decided to start fires. That day, they twice tried to start a brush fire on state game lands along Route 534 using a gasoline and oil mix, but failed.
On May 23, Kearns dropped Kehler near an unoccupied building along Route 940 owned by Louis Pugh, where Kehler lit a container filled with flammable fluids. They returned to the fire hall and were among the first to respond to the fire.
Then on June 7, Kehler filled two containers with a mix of oil and gasoline. Kearns went off to wait for the alarm, and Troell, the brother of fire Chief David Troell, drove Kehler to a vacant home known as the Bear Necessities building, where Kehler started a fire.
According to an affidavit for a search warrant filed by Kidder Detective Matthew Kuzma: Troell was interviewed on June 12 and said he saw Kehler on June 7 pour gas and oil into an empty water bottle and insert a rag into it to serve as a wick.
Troell said he drove Kehler to the Bear Necessities building, but when he came back to pick up Kehler, Kehler said he had dropped the bottle in the woods. Kehler put oil and gas into a new bottle at the firehouse, Troell said, and Troell again drove him to the building, where Kehler successfully started the fire.
Troell is charged with 11 felony counts of arson and related crimes, Kearns with 18 felony counts of arson and related crimes, and Kehler with 19 felony counts and two misdemeanors.
“It’s a difficult situation and we are trying to work things out the best we can,” said Troell’s lawyer, Andrew J. Lentowski of Hazleton.
Kehler’s lawyer, Carbon County Chief Public Defender Gregory Mousseau, said his client is remorseful. “He immediately confessed to everything,” he said.
State police Fire Marshal David Klitsch has said Troell, Kearns and Kehler were looking to go out on some fire calls and didn’t want to hurt anyone.
Troell and Kehler are being held in Carbon County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail. Kearns has posted $55,000 bail.