Pennsylvania Man Gets Jail for Setting Fire and Bilking Contractors

A Pennsylvania man who set a fire that damaged three houses then fleeced contractors by pretending to own the homes has been ordered to prison.

The Morning Call of Allentown reports 19-year-old Jonathan Figueroa was sentenced Monday to three to 10 years in prison. Figueroa pleaded guilty in April to charges including arson and forgery in the scheme to defraud the construction companies.

Prosecutors say Figueroa set fire to a friend’s Allentown home in November and the blaze caused smoke damage to two neighboring properties.

Figueroa then told two contractors he wanted them to do repair work on the homes but needed money advanced to him to get out of repair deals he’d already made.

Figueroa told the court during his sentencing he wanted to turn his life around.