20 Years For Burning Down Trooper's Home After Traffic Ticket

WARWICK, NY — An Orange County man will go to prison for intentionally setting a fire at the home of a state trooper's family member after the trooper wrote him a traffic ticket.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that 26-year-old Tyler Williams, of Middletown, was sentenced in Orange County Court to 20 years in prison to be followed by 5 years of post-release supervision, after a guilty plea to arson.

In the evening of December 20, 2023, Williams was pulled over in Middletown by a New York State trooper and issued traffic tickets. Early the next morning, a fire was started at the home of the trooper's father in Warwick.

During an investigation that spanned almost five months, a team of investigators and prosecutors, comprised of members of the Town of Warwick Police Department, the New York State Police Major Crimes Unit and the Orange County District Attorney's Office worked to solve the case. After the execution of over 20 search warrants, largely focused on digital forensics, Williams was arrested and charged for having set the fire.

The investigation revealed that in the hours after being issued the traffic tickets by the trooper and before setting the fire, Williams used search websites to learn the address of the trooper. At the plea proceedings, Williams admitted to intentionally starting the fire at the house when he knew or should have known that people were in the home.

"The conduct of this defendant is almost inconceivable," Hoovler said. "The two-decade long sentence imposed is warranted by this offender's senseless and unjustified act of violence. I commend the careful and thorough work of all of the law enforcement investigators who ensured that this defendant was brought to justice. We, as a civilized society, will not permit outrageous retribution against police officers for simply doing their jobs."

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the joint efforts of the Town of Warwick Police Department, the New York State Police, the Town of Goshen Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as the members of the District Attorney's Office which resulted in the arrest of Williams.

At the scene of the fire, the Town of Warwick Police Department was assisted by the Orange County Fire Investigation Unit as well as the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

"As police officers, we protect and serve our communities every day," Town of Warwick Police Chief John Rader said. "We do not and should not expect to be targets of violence for doing the hard work we do. The Town of Warwick Police worked collaboratively with State, local and federal law enforcement partners and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office in a tenacious investigation which has rightly resulted in a lengthy prison sentence for this violent criminal."

SEE ALSO:

• Man Admits He Set Trooper's Dad's Home On Fire After Getting A Ticket
• Man Accused Of Arson At Home Of NYS Trooper's Dad After Ticket: DA