HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 25-year-old man who entered pleas to setting a pair of fires back on May 28, 2014, in Reno County was sentenced Monday morning to three years and four months in prison.
Dustin Gordon waived his right to a preliminary hearing and entered a plea to one count of arson while the state dropped a second count. He was found guilty for setting fires to a two-story home and a trailer home that was used for storage.
In court, his attorney argued for concurrent sentencing because the fires in Reno County actually occurred before the crimes in Saline County. However, he was convicted of the crimes in Saline County first. In fact, it was during the investigation of the Saline County crimes that he admitted his involvement with fires here. Judge Trish Rose agreed with the state that the sentence had to be consecutive. The state had asked for the maximum sentence of four years, but the judge granted the mitigated number of three years and four months.
The fires occurred on East Blanchard south of the intersection of K-61 and U.S. 50, on the southeast side of Hutchinson. When units arrived, they found a fully-involved two-story house and also a second fire in a mobile home one-eighth mile east of the house that was fully involved as well. Both houses were vacant and had been for some time.
Gordon is currently serving prison time for convictions for two counts of aggravated arson and one count of arson for a case on July 4, 2014, in Saline County. He was given five years and 10 months for those crimes. He set three fires at the former Flamingo Motel in Salina.