Millionaire to be sentenced for deadly fire above tunnels

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — A wealthy stock trader awaits sentencing for his conviction in the fiery death of a man who was helping him secretly dig tunnels for a nuclear bunker beneath a Maryland home.

Daniel Beckwitt faces a maximum of 30 years in prison when Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Margaret Schweitzer sentences him Monday.

In April, a jury convicted the 28-year-old of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the September 2017 death of 21-year-old Askia Khafra.

During the trial, a prosecutor accused Beckwitt of recklessly endangering Khafra's life and sacrificing safety for secrecy.

One of Beckwitt's attorneys told jurors the fire was an accident, not a crime.

Firefighters found Khafra's body in the basement, only a few steps from an exit. Prosecutors said extreme hoarding conditions blocked Khafra's escape.