Man accused in deaths of 2 firefighters deaths gets 20 years

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio building owner accused of arson that led to the deaths of two Toledo firefighters has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after the case ended dramatically.

A judge declared a mistrial Thursday for 64-year-old Ray Abou-Arab, who had pleaded not guilty to charges including aggravated murder.

Abou-Arab then entered what's known as an Alford plea on involuntary manslaughter and aggravated arson charges. That means he doesn't admit guilt but concedes prosecutors had evidence to convict him. Other counts were dismissed.

Abou-Arab was accused of setting a January 2014 fire to collect insurance money.

A judge declared the mistrial after a witness told jurors Abou-Arab failed a polygraph exam, referencing information not typically admissible in court.

Calls to defense attorneys and prosecutors weren't immediately returned.