Leader Staff
A Seymour man accused of burning down a house he co-owned with a Freedom man in the town of Wittenberg pleaded no contest Thursday to a felony count of arson.
Robert F. Geenen, 45, had also been charged with making a fraudulent insurance claim. That count was dismissed under the plea agreement but could still be considered at sentencing.
The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for July 8 in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court.
According to the criminal complaint, Geenen, James P. Swinkles (the property co-owner) and another man were at the vacant house on July 6, 2011, to clean and prepare it for new tenants.
In the evening, they built a bonfire to burn some debris and spent the rest of the night in a cabin on the property.
During the night, Geenen poured gasoline in the house and set it ablaze, according to the criminal complaint.
Swinkles, 49, was not accused of being involved in setting the fire, but later learned what Geenen had done and split a $97,000 insurance settlement with him.
Authorities initially were unable to determine the cause of the fire, which completely destroyed the house, but they later received a tip that it had been set by Geenen, according to the criminal complaint.
Swinkles was charged with a felony count of making a fraudulent insurance claim. He pleaded no contest in July and was given a deferred judgment, which gives a defendant an opportunity to complete a probationary period before sentencing or entering a conviction.
A further hearing in Swinkles’ case is set for June 30, 2015.
Details of what the state offered as part of Geenen’s plea agreement were not available. The arson charges carries a maximum 40 years in prison and $100,000 fine.