It took less than three minutes Monday for a district court judge to issue a $200,000 restitution order in connection to the 2012 Roatcap fire.<\/p>\n
Appearing before Judge Todd Plewe on Monday, June 30, the defendant, Roger Stratton, 55, of Dolores did not contest the restitution amount. More than half the money, $109,000, was awarded to the U.S. Forest Service.<\/p>\n
Last fall, Stratton pleaded guilty to starting a wildfire that scorched some 400 acres near Dolores on Oct. 24, 2012. He is currently on probation, which prohibits him from having any outdoor fire on his property.<\/p>\n
In addition to the U.S. Forest Service, court records reveal the State of Colorado was awarded restitution of more than $50,000; Bureau of Land Management, nearly $12,000; and Empire Electric, some $9,000. The remaining restitution was divided among three insurance companies and six private property owners.<\/p>\n
Solely dependent on Social Security benefits, Stratton isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expected to pay off the total restitution any time soon, according to his public defender.<\/p>\n
At his plea hearing in November, Plewe placed Stratton on five years of supervised probation to ensure full restitution was made.<\/p>\n
Stratton, 55, of Road P.5 near Dolores, admitted to starting the fire on his property near Roatcap Hill that forced the evacuation of about 30 nearby residences. He pleaded guilty to both a single felony and lone misdemeanor count of fourth degree arson.<\/p>\n