Nathan Montgomery will be serving 10 years in the Department of Corrections (DOC) after entering a guilty plea for the crime of arson.
The case goes back to April 2021, when a residence on Relief Street was destroyed by a fire.
At the time, the investigation led the fire marshal to conclude that arson was the cause for the fire, and a probable cause affidavit was filed for Montgomery. The affidavit noted that evidence from video surveillance recording, along with witness statements indicated Montgomery occupied an apartment in the residence without permission. He reportedly threatened the lives of other tenants in the building a short time before the fire. He was also identified on video leaving the area of the building just prior to the fire being reported.
A witness statement documented that Montgomery had said, “I hope you all die,” just before the fire was discovered. Another witness had stated that Montgomery had been alone in the apartment where the fire was started.
A case review had been scheduled for Feb. 1, but Montgomery made the decision to waive his right to an arraignment and entered a plea of guilty. As a result of the plea bargain, Butler County Prosecutor Paul Oesterreicher recommended a 10-year sentence in the DOC on the charge of Class B felony first degree arson.