Manhattan Man Charged With Arson
TOPEKA, KAN. – A man from Manhattan, Kan., has been charged with arson in connection with a fire in April 2010 at an apartment complex, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Christopher L. Kenny, Jr., 24, Manhattan, Kan., is charged in a federal criminal complaint unsealed today with one count of arson. The complaint alleges that on April 18, 2010, he started a fire that damaged an apartment complex at 1030 Vattier Street in Manhattan.
An agent’s affidavit filed with the court alleges that the Riley County Police Department discovered a trash dumpster on fire in the 1000 block alley between Vattier and Kearney streets. While officers were waiting for the Manhattan Fire Department to arrive, they found a second fire inside an apartment complex under construction adjacent to the dumpster. Construction materials had been set on fire.
Investigators learned that witnesses had seen Kenney at the scene of the fire.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 20 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Riley County Police Department, the Riley County Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
