Forest Ranger Mike Malenski Guilty of Arson
Mike Malenski, 39, a former forest ranger/firefighter, has been sentenced to ten years in prison following his guilty plea to charges of arson and endangering the lives of others.
Malenski was initially charged with 56 counts each of arson and endangering lives on allegations that he set fires in the Cherokee Wildlife Management Area in 2010 and 2011 when he was a forestry services firefighter.
In addition to his ten year prison term, Malenski was ordered to pay $37,000 restitution to compensate volunteer fire departments for their expenses in fighting the arson fires.
Reportedly, Malenski was on duty when the fires were set and that he was typically the first person to arrive at the scene.
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