Saratoga Springs Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Testifying Falsely in Arson-Homicide Investigation

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Richard Ramsey, age 48, of Saratoga Springs, New York, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for providing false testimony to a federal grand jury investigating a fire that killed four people in Schenectady and seriously injured another.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) New York Field Division.

Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, to begin after Ramsey’s release from prison.

As part of his guilty plea on February 17, 2017, Ramsey admitted that he made irreconcilably contradictory statements under oath before a grand jury conducting an investigation into the May 2, 2013 arson at 438 Hulett Street in Schenectady, New York, which caused the deaths of David Terry and three young children, seriously injured another child, and destroyed the building and the personal property inside.

Ramsey is the third person to be convicted and sentenced for lying to the federal grand jury investigating the fire. On March 17, 2016, Edward Leon, age 44, of St. Johnsville, New York, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. On September 12, 2016, Jennica Duell, age 29, of Schenectady, was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in prison.

A fourth person, Bryan Fish, age 22, of Schenectady, pled guilty today to perjury charges and will be sentenced on September 11, 2017.

The investigation into the fatal fire is ongoing.

United States Richard S. Hartunian said: “We will not let lies stand in the way of holding the perpetrators of this awful crime accountable and securing justice for victims and their families. We are committed to bringing this arson homicide investigation to an end by proving beyond a reasonable doubt who caused this horrific tragedy.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict said: “Providing false statements and testimony when lives have been lost and a small child has been severely injured served only to further victimize a family that had already suffered so much. We will not tolerate the actions of those who believe they can obstruct and hinder the discovery of the truth in this investigation, and our resolve to bring the perpetrators of this barbaric arson to justice will not wane.”

Ramsey admitted that, on October 11, 2013 and January 10, 2014, he testified regarding specific events that occurred on May 1-2, 2013. On May 5, 2016, Ramsey gave irreconcilably contradictory testimony about those events. The events included declarations that Ramsey had allowed another man, Robert Butler, to use Ramsey’s car to drive from Saratoga Springs to Schenectady in the early morning hours of May 2, 2013. Specifically, Ramsey admitted that:

• On October 11, 2013, Ramsey’s testimony about the events of May 2, 2013 included the following:

On May 1, 2013, at approximately noon, Butler and Ramsey met in person in Saratoga Springs. At that time, Butler asked to borrow Ramsey’s car, and Ramsey agreed. Ramsey was awakened on May 2, 2013 at approximately 3 a.m. to the sound of his car starting, looked outside his window, and saw that it was gone from its parking space. Ramsey assumed Robert Butler had taken the car, as they had discussed on May 1, 2013, and went back to bed. At 7 a.m., Ramsey woke and the car was back in its parking spot. Ramsey inspected the car and discovered that the spare key, which he normally kept in the glove compartment, was still in the ignition. Ramsey had, on an earlier occasion, told Robert Butler he kept a spare key in the glove compartment of the car.

• On January 10, 2014, Ramsey’s testimony about the events of May 2, 2013 included the following:

On May 1, 2013, between 11:30 and 12 at night, Butler called Ramsey and asked to borrow Ramsey’s car. Ramsey agreed, told Butler that he would drive the car to Jefferson Terrace in Saratoga Springs, park it there, and leave the keys on the floorboard, and did so. A third party who lived at Jefferson Terrace drove Ramsey back to work. On May 2, 2013, Ramsey returned to pick up the car and saw that it was not parked in the same spot and had only a half tank of gas instead of a full tank of gas.

• On May 5, 2016, Ramsey’s testimony about the events of May 2, 2013 included the following:

Ramsey’s testimony on October 11, 2013, about the events of May 1-2, 2013, was untrue. Butler did not ask to borrow Ramsey’s car on May 1, 2013. Ramsey did not wake up at 3 a.m. on May 2, 2013 and hear his car being driven off. Ramsey did not find his spare key in the ignition of his car on the morning of May 2, 2013.

Ramsey’s testimony on January 10, 2014, about the events of May 1-2, 2013, was untrue. Ramsey did not drive his car and park it at Jefferson Terrace on May 1, 2013. Ramsey did not pick up his car at Jefferson Terrace on May 2, 2013 and did not discover that it had a half tank of gas instead of a full tank of gas.

The charges resulted from an ongoing investigation being conducted by the ATF, the Schenectady Police Department, and the Schenectady Fire Department. The case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U. S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Assistant United States Attorney Wayne A. Myers.

The ATF notes that there is a reward of up to a total of $40,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the arson that occurred on May 2, 2013 at 438 Hulett Street in Schenectady, resulting in personal injury and death. All information will be treated confidentially and the callers will remain anonymous if requested. Anyone having information is encouraged to call ATF at 1-888-ATF-FIRE (1-888-283-3473), or email ATFTips@atf.gov, or contact ATF through its web site at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips. Tips may also be submitted to ATF through the “report it” app, available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store, or by visiting www.reportit.com.