New Hampshire man charged with burning Vermont hiking shelter

[Kevin Rooney]

RUTLAND — A Manchester, N.H., man is facing federal charges of setting fire to a shelter on Vermont's Long Trail.

Federal prosecutors say Justin Caissie, formerly of Rutland, started the fire that destroyed the Tucker Johnson Trail Shelter in Mendon on March 2 and then lied about it to a U.S. Forest Service special agent.

From the Burlington Free Press. More here.

 

[Tom Rankin]

RUTLAND — A Manchester, N.H., man is facing federal charges of setting fire to a shelter on Vermont's Long Trail.

Federal prosecutors say Justin Caissie, formerly of Rutland, started the fire that destroyed the Tucker Johnson Trail Shelter in Mendon on March 2 and then lied about it to a U.S. Forest Service special agent.

From the Burlington Free Press. More here.

It's funny that your title is cutoff after Vermont, at least on my screen.

But it's not funny what this LOOOOOOOOOOOOOSER did!

 

[Kevin Rooney]

It's funny that your title is cutoff after Vermont, at least on my screen.

I agree - I think that's funny also. Fortunately, it's just your screen.

If it had been true, I imagine at least one national news channel would have noticed ...

 

[una_dogger]

Seems to me he got off easy.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Seems to me he got off easy.

I would agree, unless the requirement listed in the article is simply a condition of his release prior to the actual trial. One would hope so. Usually when you destroy federal property they don't let you and go and tell you "please stay away, we don't like you" for a punishment.

 

[Guthook]

I would agree, unless the requirement listed in the article is simply a condition of his release prior to the actual trial.

I would hope so as well. I'd forgotten about Tucker Johnson Shelter, and when I saw the thread title I thought it was in reference to the Lost Pond Shelter. I guess they still haven't found that repeat offender.

 

[Stan]

The article has too little information with which to hang this person. Did he start the fire maliciously, as an act of vandalism or was it an accident, as in a cookstove gone awry or a campfire too close to the shelter? The lie? "Oh no warden, I didn't start that fire, my matches did?" Yeah, as usual, the lie did him in. Only politicians are allowed to lie, didn't he know?

The embarrassment of all this, if he had any conscience, would be penalty enough for one lifetime, not to mention that ban. Woe, banned from the woods ... now that's gotta be cruel and unusual punishment!

Let's see, at best, carelessness plus lie about it equals stupidity ... an even worse punishment if he ever realizes it.

 

[Dana]

Seems a fitting punishment would be to make him carry in ALL the materials for a replacement shelter.

 

[Guthook]

stupidity ... an even worse punishment if he ever realizes it.

Haha. Agreed there.

Although I wouldn't excuse him even if it was an accident that he lied about out of embarrassment. Just like if you bang up someone's car and leave without a note, burning down a shelter and not reporting the incident to the authorities immediately (especially if it's an accident) is poor behavior. I'm not saying prison time or drop him off a cliff, but a fine for the money that it will take to rebuild the thing would be totally justified.

 

[Andrew]

The article says he is facing Federal charges. This was not his punishment, but a condition of release at a plea hearing. As opposed to being released on bail or held without bail prior to trial.

Dude is a turd if he did it.