Pyromaniac sentenced to 4-year prison term

YOUNGSTOWN — A city man has drawn a four-year prison term after pleading guilty as charged to six counts of arson.

Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court imposed the sentence late this week upon Jake Perrotta, 25, of Cooper Street. The counts pertain to fires on Dec. 19, 25 and 30, 2005, and Jan. 27, 2006. Two counts are dated March 30, 2006.

Perrotta was arrested and jailed under $1 million bond in September 2006, and he’ll get credit for 232 days he’s already been locked up. Perotta confessed to an arson investgator that he set the fires for fun, an assistant city prosecutor said, adding that Perrotta’s actions put numerous firefighters’ lives at risk.

Perrotta was charged with setting fires in vacant houses at 16 Tacoma Ave., 51 Woodbine Ave., 12 Saranac Ave., 52 New York Ave., 43 McGuffey Road and 33 Tacoma Ave.

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