Former Propane Company Worker Convicted On Home Explosion Charges

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — A jury in Loudoun County court convicted a former propane company employee Monday on charges tied to the Feb. 16, 2024 home explosion in Sterling that killed a volunteer firefighter.

Roger Lee Bentley was found guilty of one count of felony involuntary manslaughter, one count of misdemeanor unlawful release of hazardous materials, one count of misdemeanor failure to maintain required records of hazardous materials release, and one count of misdemeanor failure to control or mitigate unauthorized discharge of hazardous materials. The jury deliberated for three days before returning guilty verdicts on all counts for his criminal negligence, which resulted in the injury of over a dozen people, and the death of one volunteer firefighter.

The involuntary manslaughter is related to the death of Sterling Volunteer Fire Company's Trevor Brown in the home explosion. Along with killing Brown, the home explosion injured over a dozen others, including 10 firefighters.

Sentencing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Nov. 6.

The jury's decision follows three days of jury deliberations and seven days of arguments and evidence being presented in Loudoun County court. The Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney's office said its prosecutors provided hundreds of pieces of evidence to the jury and called over twenty witnesses during the trial.

SEE ALSO: Park On Home Explosion Site Honoring Fallen Firefighter Prepares To Open

Bentley is a former employee of Southern States Cooperative, Inc. – Leesburg – Fairfax Petroleum Service and responded to the home on Feb. 16, 2024. Another employee had responded earlier to fill up the tank and reported a smell of propane to supervisors.

According to WTOP, prosecutors argued that Bentley failed to act on the leaking propane tank connected to a pool heater. The prosecutors say Bentley indicated to the homeowner that the issue wasn't an emergency, that Southern States would address it on an upcoming date and that she didn't need to contact the fire department.

However, the defense for Bentley said he didn't know there was a leak, but the homeowner did. The defense attorney indicated that another worker informed the homeowner in 2021 of the tank's safety risk and recommended replacement.

When Bentley was indicated, Fox5DC reported that search warrants showed the homeowner had contacted the propane supplier about servicing the home's tank, which was intended for a pool that wasn't used. The homeowner was preparing to sell the home, according to the report.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue had identified the cause of the explosion as a leak involving a 500-gallon underground propane tank. Investigators believe uncontained propane went into and around the structure. An unknown source caused it to ignite, according to the fire department.

The explosion caused a total loss of the home and property damage to at least six other homes, with estimated damages around $2.5 million. The fire marshal's office put temporary propane service restrictions on Southern States after the explosion.

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