NORWICH – The man charged with burglary, arson and 40 counts of criminal mischief for allegedly setting fire to storage units in the Town of Norwich in November of 2013 appeared in the Town of Norwich Court Thursday for his preliminary felony hearing. The next step will be grand jury action, although the judge was reluctant to hold the man on the arson charge.

Michael J.C. Golotty, 25, Norwich, was represented by Public Defender Aaron Dean and appeared before the Honorable James A. Fox with regard to the charges of arson in the third degree, a class A felony; burglary in the third degree, a class D felony; and 40 counts of criminal mischief, class E felonies. Assistant District Attorney Michael Genute was present for the prosecution.

“The court finds the people are lacking a little bit,” said Fox before remanding Golotty back to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $50,000 cash bail or $75,000 insurance bond. The judge did not hesitate to hold Golotty on the burglary charge. It was the arson charge and the criminal mischief charges that held the judge up.

The prosecution called a State Police investigator to the stand who testified that he and his partner arrested Golotty, and had interviewed him on more than one occasion before arresting him in the City of Elmira.

A written statement was obtained and signed by the defendant that stated he rode a bike to the storage facility, used a crowbar, entered his ex-girlfriend’s storage unit, gathered sticks, and used hairspray and a lighter to start a fire to stay warm. According to the testimony of the investigator, the statement read that Golotty said he did not do it out of “meanness,” but to keep warm, and that he apologized for damaging people’s property.

When Dean asked the investigator why Golotty was arrested in Elmira without a warrant (a summary arrest) he said, “In hopes we would be able to interview him and see if there was involvement and ascertain a written statement, which we did.”