FARMINGTON — A Carthage man has been sentenced to serve 20 months of a five-year sentence for burning his father’s truck on Dec. 15, according to Franklin County court documents.
Spencer C. Knox, 23, will serve four years of probation after his release from the Department of Corrections.
Knox pleaded guilty Monday in Franklin County Superior Court to one felony count each of arson and violation condition of release for a connected case.
A second charge of arson and charges of aggravated criminal mischief and tampering with a witness, informant, juror or victim were dismissed in a plea agreement.
A Franklin County grand jury indicted Knox on the arson charges on Jan. 18.
State fire investigators Jeremy Damren and Kenneth MacMaster of the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal, and Maine State Police Trooper Andrew Hardy went to Knox’s parents’ home in Carthage in December to arrest Spencer Knox on a warrant, Damren said previously.
Hardy followed up on information about a pickup truck being burned in Carthage. He had responded to a family fight between Knox and his parents on Dec. 15, according Damren’s affidavit filed with the court.
Knox’s father told Hardy that his son was causing trouble at the house in the early-morning hours on Dec. 15. It was believed that Knox had taken the truck without his parents’ permission, according the affidavit.
Damren and MacMaster examined the truck, which was found parked on a dead-end dirt road or driveway, one mile from the Knox residence.
“It was determined that the fire originated in the cab of the pickup truck and the fire was determined to be (set),” according to Damren’s affidavit.
“The truck was extensively burned and should be considered a total loss,” Damren wrote.
Knox was released from jail Jan. 9 on $50,000 worth of real estate with conditions that he not commit crimes, not possess or consume alcohol or illegal drugs and not contact witnesses in the arson case.
He was arrested Jan. 30 after he was accused of making threats toward witnesses and consumed alcohol on several occasions, according to Damren’s affidavit.
He had been in custody at the Franklin County Detention Center since then.
He waived indictment Monday on the violation condition of release charge stemming from the Jan. 30 arrest.
Judge Robert Mullen sentenced Knox to 15 months on that charge to be served at the same time as the arson sentence.
dperry@sunmediagroup.net
Spencer Knox (Franklin County Detention Center)
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