CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Arson charges have been filed against two Kanawha County volunteer firefighters.
On Wednesday, Thomas Leon Johnson, 40, of Chesapeake, and Douglas Williams II, 24, of Belva, were arrested for alleged roles in the late September fire at the Cornerstone Apartments in Chesapeake. Both are charged with first-degree arson.
Investigators said video surveillance showed the two going into the apartment building on the afternoon of the fire. Later, they allegedly stood by and watched the flames but did not contact authorities.
A conviction for first-degree arson comes with a possible two to 20 year prison sentence.
The two may be connected to a separate fire that was set in April at the same Chesapeake building. The residents of the building were moved out following that blaze because of fire damage.