Colchester contractor pleads guilty in Norwich arson case

April 28--Bruce P. "Bruno" Hayn Sr., a longtime public servant in Colchester who also led charitable building projects, pleaded no contest today to setting fire to his Norwich business on Oct. 27, 2011.

Hayn, 57, will be sentenced July 9 to up to two years in prison.

In pleading nolo contendere to third-degree arson, Hayn accepted a offer from the state involving a sentence of eight years in prison, suspended after two years served, followed by four years of probation. Under the plea deal, his lawyer, Patrick Tomasiewicz, has the right to argue for a shorter prison term.

Hayn, a building contractor, was the owner and operator of Shur Fire, a company that sold wood stoves and products and pellet fuels located at 340 West Thames St. in Norwich.

According to prosecutor Lawrence J. Tytla, Hayn put a wad of paper towels into an electrical panel to ignite the fire that caused extensive damage to the two-story, 9,000-square-foot building.

Investigators recovered surveillance video that showed Hayn in the ground floor warehouse where the fire originated with paper towels in hand and showed him leaving the building with smoke and particulates in the air, according to Tytla.

Hayn initially said he was operating a forklift earlier that night when he accidentally backed into an electrical panel, heard a crackle sound and saw smoke. He later confessed to setting the fire, saying he wanted to cause enough damage to shut down the business, Tytla said. The confession was recorded by Norwich Police.

City and state fire marshals had initially ruled that the fire was accidental and possibly was caused by an abnormality in an electrical control box. Travelers Insurance initiated its own investigation, due to an estimated claim of more than $600,000, and found that the control box was not electrically charged at the time of the fire. The insurer also recovered the surveillance video. The state fire marshal's office reinvestigated and ruled the fire was intentionally set.

The insurance claim is part of an ongoing civil lawsuit.

Hayn was a longtime member of Colchester'sBoard of Finance. As president of Home Designs by Bruno, he supervised charitable building projects, including one that was featured on the television show "Extreme Home Makeover," and in 2009 he was presented the Distinguished Service Award by the Builders Association of Eastern Connecticut as well as the Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Award.

At today's court proceedings, Hayn's attorney noted Hayn was never arrested before. Judge Hillary B. Strackbein, who will determine the length of his prison stint, said she knew that and has already read several letters written on Hayn's behalf. She also noted that the case was serious in nature.

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