Staff Report | News

Desjardins given 13-25 years for arson

Updated at 3:06 p.m. Thursday

Evan Desjardins was sentenced Thursday to 13 to 25 years in prison for the Sept. 16, 2007 arson of Pizza King and 5 to 15 years for larceny.

All sentences will be served concurrently and Judge Mark Duthie ordered Desjardins to pay $250,000 in restitution for the loss of the Pizza King building, 714 Preston St., and the two other adjoining businesses at the corner of Preston and Mission streets.

The 25-year-old Desjardins was on parole when he set the building a blaze with gasoline and was found guilty June 4 of arson of real property, preparation to burn property over $20,000 and larceny in the building.

Desjardins is a four-time habitual offender and was recorded on video surveillance cameras in the restaurant twirling around in a shirt stretched over his head dumping gasoline all over after stealing money.

In a press release, Isabella Prosecutor Larry J. Burdick said Desjardins’ attorney, William Shirley, asked the court to sentence Desjardins toward the minimal end of the sentencing guidelines because he had been doing well on parole before this incident and has three small children.

However, Duthie stated that Desjardins ruined former Pizza King owner Levi Henning financially and sentenced him to 22 months more than the minimal sentencing requirement.

Desjardins was a manager of the pizzeria. Henning found him a new job after the fire before learning it was Desjardins who started the blaze.

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