Jason Conn Convicted of All Counts, Including Arson in the Second Degree
Conn Faces up to 25 Years in Prison
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Jason Conn, age 49, of Newburgh, was convicted after a jury trial before the Honorable Craig Stephen Brown in the Orange County Court of all charges against him, including Arson in the Second Degree, Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree and Obstructing Fire Fighting Operations for having intentionally started a fire in a hotel in the Town of Newburgh where he knew others were present. Conn faces up to twenty-five (25) years in prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2026. Conn was remanded back to the Orange County Jail without bail following the jury’s verdict.
As alleged at trial, on July 24, 2025 the Town of Newburgh Police Department responded to a 911 hang-up call that originated from one of the rooms in a hotel in the Town of Newburgh. Upon responding to the location, they smelled smoke and noticed that a fire was burning inside of a locked hotel room. Officers saw Conn through a window in the room and told him he had to leave, but he refused. When the officers attempted to break the window, Conn tried to stop them from extinguishing the fire. The police found the door to the room barricaded in addition to being locked so they forced entry through an adjoining room. Officers were unable to successfully enter the room because of the fire, but responding firefighters, wearing protective gear, made entry. Inside, they encountered Conn who physically engaged them before ultimately capitulating. Firefighters were able to successfully extinguish the fire, which caused extensive damage. The jury unanimously concluded that the People proved, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Conn intentionally started the fire in a building at a time when he knew or reasonably should have known that other people were present and, by doing so, recklessly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death another person. Further, Conn’s intentional actions caused damage in an amount exceeding $1500, and he intentionally and unreasonably obstructed the efforts of firefighters and police from performing their duties to extinguish the fire.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Town of Newburgh Police for their investigation which led to the arrest and conviction of Conn. District Attorney Hoovler also thanked the Town of Newburgh Fire Investigation Unit, Hudson Valley Arson and Explosives Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Orange Lake Fire District for their assistance with the investigation.
“Fire is a lethal weapon in the hands of a person who exhibits an utter and depraved disregard for the lives of others,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “But for the prompt and professional work of the Town of Newburgh Police and the bravery of the responding firefighters, the grave risk posed by this dangerous fire might very well have claimed the lives of other occupants of the hotel. I commend the investigators and prosecutors who carefully built a compelling case of the defendant’s guilt and I thank the jury for their close attention to the evidence presented at trial. This case stands as yet another testament to the power of cooperation amongst local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Senior Assistant District Attorney Tanja Beemer, Assistant District Attorney Jay Park and Senior Assistant District Attorney Michael Purcell, who prosecuted the case.
This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
