A volunteer firefighter was sentenced for setting two fires near Milton. The arsonist is already behind bars for setting four other fires.
Charles Jacobs left the Northumberland County Courthouse in handcuffs after being sentenced for arson. He admits setting fire to a barn near Milton last year.
A judge sentenced the former volunteer firefighter to 4-9 years in prison, to be served at the same time as the 7-22 years Jacobs is already serving for arsons in Montour County. Jacobs will serve no additional jail time for the fires in the Milton area.
"So basically they got away with it," Scott Clewell said.
Scott Clewell owned this barn near Milton that Jacobs admitted setting fire to in January of last year. Clewell is upset because he feels Jacobs will not pay for what he did to the barn.
"If they have good behavior, they'll probably be out in that time, and I'll still be recovering from my loss," Clewell said.
The family's barn was rebuilt just a few weeks after the fire. Clewell says he lost a lot of valuable equipment that was inside the barn, and he had to dig into his retirement fund to rebuild it.
"I consumed a good portion of my retirement fixing what they caused...what the fire caused," Clewell said.
While Jacobs admits setting fire to Clewell's barn, another suspect, Zane Snyder plans to fight his arson charges at trial. Last year, Snyder admitted that helped Jacobs set fires in Montour County.
Jacobs and Snyder were volunteers with the Pottsgrove Fire Company in Northumberland County.
"It is absolutely disheartening they have caused shame and disgrace to our fire department and I am appalled of that," Wayne Bieber of the Pottsgrove Fire Company said.
Charles Jacobs agreed to testify at Zane Snyder's trial in Northumberland County. The judge says he took that into consideration when sentencing Jacobs.