Man sentenced for attempted aggravated arson in Dover fire
NEW PHILADELPHIA – A 53-year-old man was sentenced to three years of community control sanctions Tuesday in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court in connection with the March 29, 2020, fire at Grove Home Medical in Dover.
William Lewis, formerly of Dover, was sentenced on one count of attempted aggravated arson.
More:Man pleads guilty to attempted aggravated arson in Dover fire
He will be required to pay $2,875 in restitution to Grove Medical, abstain from drugs and alcohol, and comply with the arson registry requirements of the state of Ohio. If he fails to follow the terms of his sentence, his time under supervision could be extended to five years or the court could revoke supervision and impose a term of 36 months in prison.
The sentence was imposed by Common Pleas Judge Elizabeth Lehigh Thomakos.
Before sentencing, Lewis apologized for starting the fire.
"I'm just very sorry for what happened," he said.
Dover police investigated the fire in the building at 849 Boulevard St., which holds a business and a residence. The fire destroyed a hose and damaged metal siding on the south side of the building.
A passerby and the tenant of an apartment above the business extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived.
Proceedings in Common Pleas Court were delayed while competency and sanity evaluations were done. Lewis was restored to competency at Heartland Behavioral Healthcare in Massillon.
He was represented by attorney Travis Collins of Cadiz.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: William Lewis sentenced on attempted aggravated arson charge
