Former Unity resident sentenced to serve six months for setting Unity blaze

Mon, 04/13/2015 - 9:15pm

    BELFAST — A Waterville man, who formerly lived in Unity, was sentenced to four years in prison with all but six months suspended after he pleaded guilty March 28 in Waldo County Superior Court to setting a fire Dec. 28 that consumed the trailer where his former girlfriend lived.

    Addison Duong, 21, was charged with setting fire to the trailer where he and his girlfriend resided, following an investigation by Deputy Jordan Tozier of the Waldo County Sheriff’s Department.

    According to Tozier’s filed report, law enforcement were already aware of tension between Duong and the owner of the trailer, who had made two civil complaints about Duong the day of the arson. 

    The owner of the trailer reported Duong was using drugs and had a tendency to damage the home when angered. At the time of the complaints the owner was referred to civil court for an eviction process. Just a few hours after the last complaint, deputies responded with firefighters to the fire at the Landry Lane residence.  

    When questioned further by Tozier, Duong eventually confessed his involvement. He admitted he lit a candle and placed it under a curtain before leaving the area with a friend, who reportedly did not know what had occurred until later in the night. Duong also told investigators that he “did not burn the trailer down because of [the owner],” but because he was “extremely angry” that his girlfriend had left, according to court documents. 

    In addition to the prison sentence, Duong was placed on three years of probation and must pay $7,121 restitution. 

    Duong, who has been unable to make the $10,000 cash bail set for him, has remained in jail since his Jan. 5 arrest. On Feb. 18 his pre-conviction bail was revoked after it was discovered he was making contact with one of his listed victims while in custody - a violation of the special conditions attached to the bail.  He was indicted by a Lincoln County grand jury March 19 for two counts of violation of conditions of release in Wiscasset on Jan. 9 and Jan. 13.


    Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com