A man pleaded guilty Thursday to attempted aggravated arson in connection with a fire he started in a Crystal Lake motel room.
James Roever, 30, was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation and 180 days in jail, according to an order signed by Judge Mark Gerhardt in McHenry County court.
With credit for 130 days Roever’s been detained, the jail time was considered served. A charge of possessing less than 15 grams of cocaine was dismissed, records show.
Roever, who lives in Michigan and is formerly from Cary, was initially charged with aggravated arson, a Class X felony that could have sent him to prison.
About 5 p.m. on Nov. 10, police and firefighters responded to a call made by the manager of the Super 8 Motel. He reported seeing smoke coming from the room Roever was staying in, according to testimony at Roever’s initial court appearance, at which he was detained pretrial.
Assistant State’s Attorney Margaret O’Brien said that when the manager went into Roever’s room, the manager saw the fire and used water from the bathroom sink to extinguish it. Police officers saw smoke and a “pile of debris consistent” with burning embers, she said.
Roever was accused of starting the fire with two towels in a garbage can in the bathroom of his room while knowing there were other people in the motel, the prosecutor said.
He “admitted” to police he started the fire and said he did it to “separate himself from someone he thought was in the room,” O’Brien said. She added that police also found he had crack cocaine in his room.
At the same hearing, Assistant Public Defender David Giesinger argued the alleged fire did not rise to the level of aggravated arson. For that, the state would have to prove Roever damaged the building’s structure and caused damages in excess of $150, Giesinger said.
During his probation, Roever must not consume any alcohol, marijuana or any narcotics for which he does not have a prescription and must submit to urine drops. He also was ordered to pay $2,624 in fines, which includes $500 toward a fire prevention fund, according to a court order.