He pleaded guilty to setting fires in a Carbon County spree
By Bob Laylo
Morning Call
Copyright 2006 The Morning Call, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania — A former Kidder Township firefighter who helped set a string of fires will spend the holidays, and beyond, behind bars.
Carbon County Judge David W. Addy on Tuesday rejected pleas for leniency and sentenced Ronald G. Kearns to one to two years in county prison.
“There is a time for accountability and this is it,” Addy told Kearns, 19, of Dennison Township, Luzerne County.
Addy denied requests that Kearns be sentenced to probation or house arrest, and that he be allowed to start his sentence after the holidays.
Kearns became the third and final Kidder Township firefighter to be sentenced for a string of arson fires that destroyed two vacant buildings earlier this year. The firefighters also tried unsuccessfully to set fire to state game lands.
Louis J. Troell, 21, of East Side, got a two- to four-year sentence in county jail. Troell is the brother of Kidder Township Fire Chief David Troell. John Kehler, 26, of White Haven, got 11/2 to 4 years.
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 off near an unoccupied building along Route 940, where Kehler started a blaze. 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 an oil and gasoline mixture. Kearns went off to wait for the alarm, and Troell drove Kehler to a vacant three-story structure on Route 940 known as the Bear Necessities building, where Kehler started a fire.
The three firefighters eventually confessed to Kidder Township Detective Matthew Kuzma and state police Fire Marshal David Klitsch.
Kearns in October pleaded guilty to one count each of arson, possession of an explosive material and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief.
Kearns’ mother, Molly Sue Kearns, told Addy the crimes were out of character for her son, who had no prior record.
“The whole thing was a total shock on the family,” she said.
Kearns’ lawyer, Dick Hughes, said he had his client examined by a forensic psychiatrist, who determined he was not a fire starter. Hughes asked Addy to give his client probation or house arrest, saying Kearns was needed at the family’s excavation business, but was turned down.
Addy, who reviewed an extensive pre-sentence investigation, said he does not believe it was Kearns’ idea to start the fires.
“He’s a follower,” Addy said.
Kearns apologized for his crimes.
“I am ready to take full responsibility for my actions,” he said.
Addy then gave him the jail time, and also ordered Kearns to pay about $97,000 in restitution. He told Kearns that the community and fellow firefighters trusted him when he joined the fire company.
“You have severely violated that trust,” Addy said.