NORWICH – A New Berlin man will spend the next eight years in state prison for setting fire to his parents’ home.
Jeffrey “Yogi” Maxson was sentenced Friday in Chenango County Court for the crime, which he committed in April of 2010. He pleaded guilty to second degree arson, a class B felony, and third degree arson, a class C felony, as part of a plea agreement with the Chenango County District Attorney’s Office.
Following his time in state prison, Maxson will have five years of post-release supervision. He has also been ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $175,969.29, plus a 5 percent surcharge.
“It’s a big amount of money,” said Chenango County Court Judge Howard Sullivan, who explained that Maxson will be required to pay a minimum of $25 per month after his release from prison.
Maxson was 44 and unemployed when he was arrested following a suspicious fire at his mother’s New Berlin home. He had reportedly staying at the residence for three weeks prior to the incident, which occurred shortly before midnight on April 26, 2010.
Fire investigators determined the blaze was caused by a lit cigarette, thrown in a pile of clothes. The family dog, a German Shepherd, perished in the fire, which destroyed the trailer and its contents. The two family members in the home at the time were able to make it out unharmed.
According to Chenango County Fire Coordinator Matt Beckwith, Maxson hindered responders’ efforts to extinguish the fire.
