A former volunteer firefighter convicted of five counts of arson was sentenced last week in state and federal courts to a combined 15 years in prison followed by eight years extended supervision.
On Monday in Oconto County, a judge added four more years of prison and six more years of extended supervision for Drew Christensen, 29, of Suring, rejecting a joint recommendation that would have required no additional prison time and two additional years of supervision.
Christensen’s body shook with silent sobs and family members wiped away tears as Oconto County Circuit Court Judge Jay Conley announced the sentence for the arson of two Oconto County properties.
“There has to be some pound of flesh for what happened here, a punishment,” Conley said.
In a letter to the judge, Christensen said he was motivated by revenge when he set fire to a garage owned by Dennis Lasky in 2012 and a trailer home that served as a summer get-away for Kristine and Kenneth Trojan and Michael Borchardt in 2011.
The garage fire was reportedly set because Christensen believed members of the Lasky family had set fire to the Christensen family home previously. He set the trailer home on fire because he believed the Trojans had injured his dog.
“What human being wouldn’t live in terror of their neighbors harboring these feelings toward them?” Conley said.
Defense attorney Tricia Nell said Christensen, a former town of Brazeau volunteer firefighter, committed the crimes when he was in a downward spiral due to a series of devastating life events that included the death of his brother, job loss and a broken engagement. He was suffering from depression and alcoholism and had attempted suicide several times, she said.
“I think he no longer had the ability to make decisions that rational people can make,” she said.
Christensen’s voice cracked at times as he apologized to his family, the community and the firefighters he put in danger.
“I knew I needed to stand up and take full responsibility, in return for hopefully being granted some sort of forgiveness,” he said.
“Everything speaks well of you, except for your crimes,” Conley said, referring to Christensen’s letters of support.
District attorney Ed Burke and Nell recommended a sentence of 10 years confinement and 10 years of extended supervision for each count, to be served at the same time as the sentences from federal and Marinette County courts. Nell argued that Christensen was cooperative with authorities, and, with his reputation as a hard worker, should be allowed to return to the work force after the 15-year sentence already imposed so he could pay restitution.
“I don’t know that we need any more confinement time,” Burke said.
Despite their recommendation, Conley added to the confinement, which with time served, will equal a little less than three more years behind bars.
“I’m taking into account your prior sentences, but I will not give you a pass on what you did here,” Conley said.
Conley sentenced Christensen to 17 years of confinement and 11 years of extended supervision for the house trailer fire and 19 years of confinement and 14 years extended supervision for the garage fire, all to run concurrent to each other and Christensen’s other sentences. He must also pay $75,137 in restitution.
Christensen received a 10-year sentence followed by five years supervised release on Nov. 13 in federal court for setting fire to the Klondike Community Church near Coleman in March 2012, the Everbreeze resort bar in Mountain in October 2009 and a tavern in the town of Bagley in July 2012.
On Thursday, Christensen was sentenced in Marinette County Circuit Court to five years in prison and three years extended supervision for burning down a town of Stephenson house at the request of his friends and co-defendants, Jessica Miller and Donald Halbur Jr., both of Crivitz. Christensen is to serve his state sentence consecutive to his federal sentence.
Miller and Halbur were each sentenced to five years in prison last month in Marinette County for asking Christensen to burn down Miller’s house for the insurance proceeds in June 2011.
Miller collected $268,000 from her property insurer and used the proceeds to buy the Jaded Bar in the town of Bagley. A year later, Christensen burned down that bar, also on Miller’s request.
Marinette County Circuit Judge David Miron made Miller, Halbur and Christensen jointly responsible for restitution of $293,980 to Miller’s insurer for damages and costs associated with the fire.
In federal court, Assistant U.S. Attorney William Roach and Nell jointly recommended a 10-year sentence.
“Multiple arsons were committed that not only caused financial damage for the property owners but also posed a physical danger to the firefighters who responded. That warranted a 10-year sentence,” Roach said.
U.S. District Judge William Griesbach also ordered Christensen to pay $600,000 restitution to the insurers of the Klondike Community Church and the Jaded Bar. The Klondike Community Church is seeking restitution beyond the $300,000 payout from their insurer, Roach said. Griesbach gave the parties 60 days to agree upon a restitution amount, or he will determine it at a hearing.
Christensen lessened his sentence by a timely guilty plea and agreeing to cooperate with prosecuting Miller and Halbur, Roach said.
Miller and Halbur both await sentencing in federal court after pleading guilty on Nov. 6 to conspiring with Christensen to commit arson. Miller also pleaded guilty to mail fraud in connection with the $26,000 she received from an insurer after the tavern fire.
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