Riley Township man sentenced to prison after no contest plea to arson

A Riley Township man was sentenced to prison Tuesday after he pleaded no contest to second-degree arson and home invasion.

Macomb County Judge Julie Gatti ordered 31-year-old Zachary Zielonka to serve a minimum of two-and-a-half years and up to 20 years.

“Our community can rest a little easier knowing that such dangerous behavior will not be tolerated," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a news release. "We remain committed to upholding the law and protecting our citizens from such acts.”

Zielonka was arrested after he reportedly broke into a garage of a Richmond Township residence and set a vehicle inside the garage on fire in September. He reached a plea agreement with the prosecutor in June.

No contest pleas are treated as guilty pleas for legal purposes at sentencing.

Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Riley Township man sentenced to prison after no contest plea to arson