EASTON — Fred “Trey” Rider III pleaded guilty to first-degree arson and five counts of reckless endangerment at a hearing on Monday for starting a fire at his home in Easton in November 2022.
Rider had also been charged with second-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning, two counts of arson threat, two counts of malicious destruction of property, obstruction of emergency assistance and two additional counts of reckless endangerment. As part of a plea deal, the state will not prosecute Rider for those remaining nine charges.
Rider’s plea comes five months after he was supposed to stand trial, but failed to appear in court that morning.
At the hearing, Judge Thomas G. Ross said Rider could receive up to 30 years in prison and $50,000 in fines for first-degree arson. He could receive up to 25 years in prison and $25,000 in fines for the five counts of reckless endangerment.
Rider told Ross the state had put pressure on him to plead guilty, but he was making the decision freely. Rider said he was pleading guilty to the six charges because he is guilty and he believes it is in his best interest.
On Nov. 24, 2022, just after 8 p.m., 45 firefighters responded to a fire in Rider’s two-story, single-family home at 27930 Peach Orchard Road in Easton.
At the hearing on Monday, Talbot County Deputy State’s Attorney Joyce Jones said that on that night, Rider had been angry with his wife for taking their sons to see relatives for Thanksgiving, and he began threatening her.
According to court documents, Rider reportedly blamed his wife for all of his troubles and stated he was going to burn the house down.
That night, according to charging documents, the two driveways to Rider’s home were blocked with vehicles: Rider’s truck and a golf cart. Jones said Rider did this before intentionally setting fire to his family’s home. Several people on the scene were able to push the golf cart out of the way so fire engines could begin suppression efforts, according to the charging documents.
It took the responding firefighters over 30 minutes to control the fire with a tanker task force.
A person connected to Rider told officials Rider had clearly indicated to him that he was attempting suicide and wanted to be left alone, according to charging documents. Rider also reportedly told the person that he lit the house on fire.
Jones said Rider hid within sight of the house after setting fire to it and watched it burn down. She said Rider let firefighters search for him in the house rather than tell them he wasn’t inside it. She said some firefighter gear had to be decommissioned because it had been burned so badly.
That night, Rider was located a short distance away from his home and transported to the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton for emergency care. Rider’s attorney Christine DuFour said Rider was under the influence of alcohol during the incident and had slit his wrists.
Through investigation, officials identified the fire as an act of human intervention with an open flame, classifying the cause of the fire as incendiary. According to court documents, Rider’s reckless conduct in igniting the house on fire “clearly” put the firefighters who responded in danger.
The day after the fire, Rider’s wife filed a petition for a protective order against him, citing verbal threats of abuse, mental abuse and property destruction from Rider in the months leading up to the fire.
A sentencing hearing for Rider is set for Oct. 4, following Rider’s ongoing divorce proceedings.
At a June status hearing for the case, DuFour said it would be helpful to know the outcome of the divorce before Rider is handed a sentence because the divorce will have an affect on the sentencing.
Rider was supposed to stand trial March 4, but at a status hearing that morning, Ross said Rider had been voluntarily admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital and issued a bench warrant for Rider’s failure to appear in court that morning. After getting discharged, Rider was granted a request to be transferred to an alcohol and drug rehab facility for 60 days, with the condition that he return to the Talbot County Detention Center upon completing the program.
On May 14, the detention center was ordered to release Rider on a previously posted $20,000 unsecured bond. Rider was released on conditions including that he surrender his passport, he reside in a sober living home in Pasadena, he attend Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings and he enroll in mental health services.
Rider will remain at the sober living facility until his sentencing, DuFour said on Monday.
Most Popular
Comments / 0