By Mary Spicer
Nikolas Dean Pope, the Hartstown resident who pleaded guilty to burning down two historic structures — Conneaut Lake Park’s Dreamland Ballroom and Harmonsburg Presbyterian Church — has been ordered to serve three to 20 years in a state prison for the crimes.
Pope was sentenced Friday by Crawford County Court of Common Pleas Judge Anthony Vardaro, who also ordered him to follow the sentence with 10 years probation and to pay a total of $1,500 in fines and $1.7 million in restitution to the church, its insurance company and the trustees of Conneaut Lake Park.
On Jan. 13, the blaze that left the 160-year-old church only a shell kept approximately 30 volunteer firefighters on the scene for almost six hours, from its 3 a.m. discovery until it was brought under control shortly before 9.
On Feb. 1, the 116-year-old amusement park’s ballroom and several nearby midway buildings fell victim to the fire that was discovered around 2:15 a.m. by two emergency medical technicians on their way home to Conneautville. More than 60 firefighters from 10 departments battled the blaze throughout the morning.
Pope told police investigators that he set the church fire after leaving a party in Harmonsburg with two other individuals “to cause mischief.” According to testimony Pope gave investigators at the time, he went to the rear of the church building, removed a window pane and went inside the church, used a butane lighter in a futile attempt to ignite a Bible at the pulpit and finally ignited a flag in the sanctuary.
During the same interview, Pope, who was 19 years old when the incidents occurred, told investigators that less than three weeks later, he went to Conneaut Lake Park, where he entered the Dreamland Ballroom/maintenance building through an unlocked door, made a torch out of wood, rags and cooking oil, and then walked around inside the structure before tossing the torch aside.
He was arrested April 4 following an investigation by state police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
In August, Pope pleaded guilty to two second-degree felony counts of arson endangering property and one second-degree felony count of criminal trespass. Each count carried a maximum sentence of 25 years and a $10,000 fine.
During Friday’s sentencing hearing, Pope was ordered to serve a minimum of 1.5 years to a maximum of 10 years in a state prison, probably in Pittsburgh, and pay a $500 fine for each of the two arson counts plus 10 years probation and a $500 fine for criminal trespass. He was given credit for 232 days of pre-sentence incarceration.
He was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,000 to Harmonsburg Presbyterian Church, $212,637.94 to the church’s insurance company, and $1.5 million to the Trustees of Conneaut Lake Park.
“This is a very nice young man who made two incredibly stupid mistakes under the influence of alcohol and drugs,” Pope’s attorney, Jamie Mead, told the court Friday after three members of Pope’s family finished speaking on his behalf. A court-ordered evaluation indicated “he didn’t have a problem with fire — he had a problem with drugs and alcohol,” the attorney added.
Before the sentence was handed down, Pope apologized to family and friends as well as to the community and all the firefighters involved.
Describing himself as “representing volunteers who worked for 12 years to remake the park,” Tim Weber, a former Conneaut Lake Park trustee who served as board secretary from 2003 until September 2005, showed a painting representing the structure during its heyday “to remind everyone what has been taken from the community — and from Conneaut Lake Park.”
“You haven’t been in trouble. You’ve been good,” Vardaro told Pope after everyone had finished speaking. “But you made not one horrific mistake — but two. You took a house of worship from people who are struggling to replace it. You took a piece of Crawford County history away.”
While he agreed to take into consideration the fact that Pope hadn’t been in trouble before, “the psychiatric report indicates that if you don’t deal with your drinking, you may do this again,” Vardaro said.
“I’ve taken into consideration your prior good conduct and the support you’ve received from friends and family,” Vardaro said after setting the sentence. However, he continued, he also took the type of structures Pope set afire as well as the danger the fires created for those who fought them and the fear they created within the community.
“What Mr. Pope has taken away from the community cannot ever be replaced,” Weber said after the session ended. “I doubt that he will ever be able to repay $1.5 million in restitution.”
Church member Kimber Hunter, who was present in the courtroom but didn’t speak during Friday’s proceeding, described herself as being confused about how to feel following the sentencing. “He should have to come out and help the people as we rebuild,” she said.
Mary Spicer can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at mspicer@meadvilletribune.com.
