Hammonton Man can be Charged in Fire
From the Atlantic City Press Published: Saturday, October 18, 2008
By REGINA SCHAFFER Staff Writer, 609-272-7211
A Hammonton man can be charged for allegedly setting fire to an abandoned house on the White Horse Pike in Winslow Township in 2005, an appellate panel ruled Friday.
In December 2007, Camden County Superior Court Judge William Cook threw out the charge that Samuel Siligato, 58, set fire to an abandoned house at 750 S. White Horse Pike. The dismissal followed a motion by Siligato's attorney, claiming the arson charge should have been joined with other witness-tampering charges in a single indictment.
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The appellate panel reversed the lower court's decision following an appeal filed by the Attorney General's Office.
"It is clear in this case that the 2007 indictment for aggravated arson did not arise from the 'same conduct' that underlay the 2005 indictment for witness tampering," the opinion states.
It was alleged that on April 8, 2005, Siligato set the blaze while awaiting trial in Atlantic County Superior Court in connection with a 1998 arson at his 801 S. White Horse Pike property in Winslow Township. He was indicted on charges of aggravated arson, conspiracy and obstructing the administration of law in February 2007. The 750 S. White Horse Pike building was owned by Pastore Farms Inc.
Authorities said at the time the indictment was handed down that they believed Siligato attempted to create an impression that it was not him but others setting fires in the area. Siligato was convicted in July 2006 of conspiracy and attempting to submit $200,000 in fraudulent insurance claims after the 1998 fire. The jury also found him guilty of two counts of witness tampering. Two months later, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison but was released on $350,000 bail pending his appeal.
During the 11-week trial in 2006, jurors found Siligato took property from his burned building but not that he actually set the fire. The jury also found him guilty of submitting a claim for $165,000 in property damage and $15,000 for loss of contents. Although the case goes back to 1998, Siligato was not indicted until February 2004. He was indicted again the following year on the witness-tampering charges.
E-mail Regina Schaffer: RSchaffer@pressofac.com
