A Flanders NJ man recently pleaded not guilty to arson charges in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The 51-year-old suspect is accused of conspiring to start a fire in 2010 at the Hitching Post, a landmark hotel in Wyoming. The hotel was reportedly a very popular place for state legislators to stay.
According to authorities, the fire destroyed the hotel.
The suspect appeared in U.S. District Court and pleaded not guilty to six federal charges related to the fire. The charges include conspiracy to commit arson and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
If the suspect is convicted on the most serious charges, he could be subject to significant penalties. He faces somewhere between 20 years and 110 years in federal prison.
Another man was already convicted on arson charges for starting the fire. That man is from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was sentenced to 6 years in federal prison for his role in the fire.
The suspect in the conspiracy case is from Flanders, New Jersey. Flanders is an unincorporated community within Mount Olive Township. Flanders also lies in parts of Roxbury Township.
After being arrested and charged, the suspect managed to secure his release by posting a $500,000 bond.
The suspect will have to appear in court in Cheyenne WY to answer the charges against him. The trial is set to begin on June 15. Although the suspect’s defense attorney declined to say much publicly on the case, he did declare that he looks forward to addressing the charges and helping his client get exonerated.
For additional information about this case, read the NJ.com article entitled “N.J. Man Denies Charges in Wyoming Arson Plot.”
