Submitted by the Rensselaer County District Attorney’s Office
District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly announced today that Matthew Woelfersheim, 45, of Schaghticoke pled guilty in Rensselaer County Court before the Honorable Jennifer G. Sober to Arson in the Second Degree, a Class B violent felony, along with Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree, a Class E Felony, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree and Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, a misdemeanor.
On September 2, 2020 Woelfersheim was found to have entered a building located at 165 4th Street in the City of Troy where he set fire to a bag of charcoal causing the building to be engulfed in flames. The defendant then fled the area and was located a few hours later. The building sustained fire, smoke, water and structural damage as a result of the defendant’s action. There were two residential tenants at home in the building at the time of the fire.
Woelfersheim is expected to be sentenced to 12 years in state prison for his involvement with the arson, and was remanded back to Rensselaer County Jail awaiting sentencing on March 29. The cases were prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Hauf and Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Dorando.
