Binghamton man sentenced to probation after setting fire that destroyed vacant house

A Binghamton man who admitted to setting a blaze that destroyed a vacant house in the city earlier this year will get no jail time.

Binghamton police in February charged Terry Bell, 56, with fourth-degree arson, a felony, following an investigation into a blaze at 122 Henry St. in the city.

The fire was extinguished by the Binghamton Fire Department and no injuries were reported, police said.

Bell, who had reportedly been using the Henry Street home as his residence, ultimately pleaded guilty to the arson charge and was sentenced this week in Broome County Court to five years of probation.

The residence, which was deemed a total loss, was formerly owned by Isaac Anzaroot, a Brooklyn resident who owns hundreds of properties throughout Broome County. Anzaroot was locked in a lengthy battle with local officials over the conditions on many of those sites.

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Binghamton officials charged Anzaroot with dozens of code violations, and many of those properties, including the Henry Street location, were eventually turned over to the city as part of a court settlement.

The city had not formally taken ownership of the property at the time of the fire, according to city officials.

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