An Ohio University student pleaded not guilty Wednesday to setting fires in Tiffin Hall in February.
Charles L. Pierce, 19, pleaded not guilty to one count of arson in the Athens County Court of Common Pleas, according to a news release from Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn.
The charges stem from an incident on Feb. 23 when Pierce, of Milan, Ohio, allegedly set lit paper hanging on doors and walls in Tiffin Hall on East Green at about 3 a.m.
The papers burned the carpet in the building and caused minor damage, according to an OU Police Department alert.
Pierce could be sentenced to a maximum of 18 months in prison and a maximum fine of $5,000 if convicted of arson at trial, according to the Ohio Revised Code.
Pierce was released on his own recognizance from the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail and is due back in court on April 26 for a status conference.
ml147009@ohiou.edu
