Man sentenced for Erie soup kitchen fire

April 27--ERIE, Pa. -- A 53-year-old Erie man was sentenced Wednesday in Erie County Court to serve one year to two years in state prison on charges he recklessly started a trash can fire that burned through the Emmaus Soup Kitchen on Sept. 25.

Thomas Munch must also serve two years probation and pay $193,393 restitution to Erie Insurance, Judge William R. Cunningham said.

With the sentence, which was in the standard range of state sentencing guidelines, Cunningham sought to balance Munch's remorse and prior record; a plea for mercy from Erie Benedictine Sister Mary Miller, director of Emmaus Ministries; and the prosecution's concern for public safety.

"I have profound respect for the mercy they are asking for. I have to balance that with your history. That is of concern," Cunningham said to Munch.

The sentence came after Munch in March pleaded guilty to risking a catastrophe as a third-degree felony and recklessly endangering another person as a second-degree misdemeanor in a plea deal that dropped the first-degree felony of arson and another misdemeanor endangerment charge.

Erie police charged him with starting a fire in a trash can on the southeast corner of the soup kitchen's property. The fire spread from the garbage can to the building, where it caused heavy damage.

It reopened Oct. 5 and has remained in operation while plans to rebuild are pending. No one was injured in the fire, including two Benedictine Sisters who lived on the second floor.

Police described Munch as a drifter, and he is last known to reside in the 500 block of West Eighth Street. His previous record includes separate cases of burglary, shoplifting and simple assault, according to court records. Munch apologized in court.

He said he had come to the soup kitchen, 218 E. 11th St., at which he was a regular, the morning of the fire to have the sisters pray for him because he was scheduled for surgery later in the day.

He said he had been on a limited diet because of medical procedures and that medications he had taken as part of his treatment might have affected his behavior.

"This was an accident," he said.

His lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Michael Dejohn, said Munch inadvertently placed his cigarette in the trash while digging through the trash.

District Attorney Jack Daneri did not request a specific sentence, but deferred to the judge. He stressed that Munch has a long history of offenses, including more than a dozen public nuisance offenses. The fire endangered others, he said.

Miller urged leniency.

"We consider him one of our family," she said.

LISA THOMPSON can be reached at 870-1802 or by e-mail. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNthompson.

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