Man who set couch on fire sentenced

FARGO — A man who set a couch on fire in his north Fargo apartment after an argument with another tenant on Feb. 26 was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison.

Jesse Jonathan Miller pleaded guilty in Cass County District Court to one count of endangering by fire or explosion, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

He was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised probation, with credit for 192 days in jail since his arrest.

A psychological evaluation was ordered, and the restitution claims period was left open for 60 days, Assistant State’s Attorney Tracy Peters said.

According to court documents, a witness told police that another tenant in the building had earlier yelled at Miller about loud music from his basement apartment and struck Miller in the face.

The witness told officers that after the tenant left, Miller, who police said was intoxicated, set the couch on fire and left.

Miller raised suspicions when he returned to the scene with a fire extinguisher, Peters said. He initially denied setting the fire but then admitted to it, telling police he did it as a “joke,” court records state.

Tags: news, court, arson