Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Arson

The man who set fire to Stage off Main in 2017 has been sentenced to federal prison. Brian Whitton was found guilty of arson of a commercial building, two counts of mail fraud, arson to commit a second felony offense and making a false statement to law enforcement agencies in a federal jury trial. Whitton set fire to The Stage Off Main in March of 2017 in the basement of the building. Video captured him quickly leaving the basement, emptying the cash register and leaving the bar exactly 18 seconds before smoke started to fill the first floor. Another fire was set at 3am when the apartments upstairs were occupied by two tenants and another person, nobody was injured in the fire but the building suffered damage according to investigators. Whitton was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.