Men Indicted in Connection With House Fire

Two Morris County men have been indicted on four counts in connection with a house fire in Phillipsburg, according to the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.

Arthur Verge III, 51, of Flanders, and Andre Verge, 45, of Succasunna, have both been charged with second-degree conspiracy to commit aggravated arson, second-degree aggravated arson, third-degree conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and third-degree insurance fraud.

A two-family rental property on McKeen Street in Phillipsburg caught fire on Nov. 17, 2009, and was owned by the defendants, the prosecutor’s office said. The building was used as a rental property, but at the time of the fire, all tenants had been evicted and the living space was unoccupied, the prosecutor said.

If convicted, each defendant could spend up to 30 years in prison and be fined $330,000.

Each second-degree crime carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in New Jersey State Prison and a maximum fine of $150,000. Each third-degree crime carries a maximum sentence of five years in state prison and a maximum fine of $15,000.

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