BRANT LAKE-The volunteer firefighter charged with arson for allegedly torching the historic Brant Lake General Store on Route 8 in northern Warren County rejected a plea bargain offer Wednesday and appears to be headed to trial.

Brian Hodges, 27, of Cohoes has been indicted by a Warren County Grand Jury on eight counts of felony arson, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment in connection with the fire last Aug. 1 which burned the landmark building to the ground.

Hodges' cousin, Valerie Steinman and her husband, Steve owned the building and had lived in the apartment above the store. They escaped without injury along with their son and Valerie Steinman's two teenage cousins who were staying with the Steinman's for the summer, but lost all of their possessions.

Hodges appeared in Warren County Court Wednesday before Judge John Hall to address a plea deal offered by the Warren County District Attorney's office which would have resulted in a 16-year term in prison in exchange for a guilty plea. He faces up to 25 years in prison if he is found guilty after trial.

But his attorney, Michael Keenan, said that his client declined the offer and will apparently challenge the admissibility of a written statement that Hodges allegedly gave willingly to the Warren County Sheriff's Department admitting that he set the fire.

The blaze was investigated by the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and the sheriff's department.

Hodges, who had been a firefighter for 10 years with the Boght Volunteer Fire Department of Colonie, was arrested three months after the fire.

The two teenage girls staying with the Steinman's had been sent to live with the couple by their father, Valerie's brother, who said he was trying to keep his daughters away from Hodges who he says had been stalking them.

Hodges was also charged with the third degree rape of one of the 16-year girls which allegedly occurred in Saratoga County between December 20025 and March 2006, prior to the fire. He has pleaded guilty and is expected to receive a prison sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years when he's sentenced on April 30.

He is free on bail in both counties.

Police said that Hodges admitted that he wanted the two young girls to return to their Capital District home and allegedly threw a cigarette under the deck at the rear of the store to show the girls that building was a fire hazard. He had apparently hoped to scare them so that they would return home. He told police that he had thrown stones at the building's windows, trying to get their attention when the fire began raging.

Hodges is also a cousin of Valerie Steinman.

The Steinmans decided not to rebuild the store. 3-22-07

© 2007 North Country Gazette