FORMER FIREFIGHTER PLEADS GUILTY

A Defi­ance fire­fighter charged with start­ing a fire in his garage has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

29 year old Mark Seib­ert pleaded guilty in Defi­ance County Com­mon Pleas Court to two counts of crim­i­nal dam­ag­ing.

The judge placed him on non­re­port­ing pro­ba­tion for two years and ordered him to pay $1,651 in resti­tu­tion to the State Fire Marshal’s Office, which inves­ti­gated the case, and the High­land Town­ship Fire Depart­ment, which responded.

An aux­il­iary fire­fighter with Defi­ance fire depart­ment and vol­un­teer fire­fighter with South Rich­land and High­land Town­ship depart­ments, he was indicted in 2012 on two felony counts of aggra­vated arson in a June fire.

His lawyer said he was work­ing on a mower that caught fire in the garage.