Bemidji man pleads guilty to amended arson charge

January 9, 2017

BEMIDJI—A Bemidji man originally accused of first-degree arson pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree arson Tuesday after the charges were amended.

Michael James Durant, 33, initially pleaded not guilty to first-degree arson on Nov. 30.

The original, more severe charge against Durant stemmed from a Sept. 29 incident in which he set fire to a mattress inside a mobile home by placing sage on top of it and lighting the blaze with a lighter, according to a criminal complaint.

http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/4193967-bemidji-man-pleads-guilty-amended-arson-charge

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