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Office of the District Attorney P. David Soares ALBANY, NY – District Attorney P. David Soares today announced the guilty verdict in the trial of JAMES E. RICHARDSON, 51, of 628 Clinton Avenue, Albany, NY. RICHARDSON was found guilty of Arson in the 3rd Degree, a Class "C" Violent Felony and Insurance Fraud in the 3rd Degree, a Class "D" Felony, and the jury was deliberated in less than two hours. On the 14th day of November 2004, RICHARDSON intentionally ignited petroleum distillate in the kitchen area of 107 Orange Street in Albany, NY. RICHARDSON faces a possible 5 to 15 years in state prison on the Arson. Sentencing will be February 15th, 2006 in front of Judge Stephen Herrick. District Attorney Soares stated today that "These investigations are dangerous, dirty and difficult. It is the nature of the crime of arson that most of the evidence is destroyed by the crime itself. It is the challenge of the fire investigators from the Arson Task Force to overcome these hurdles and identify the source of the fire and trace that source back to an individual. In case after case, this team has demonstrated successful prosecutions". Soares continued, "I would like to thank the efforts of the Albany Arson Task Force including members of local law enforcement and fire departments along with investigators from the NYS Bureau of Fire Prevention and Control, NYS Insurance Fraud Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and Arson Investigator Bobby Muller from the of the Office of the District Attorney." Cheryl Fowler, Bureau Chief of the Street Crimes Bureau handled this case. For further information contact: Rachel McEneny
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