Bail set at $1M for pastor in fatal fire
The Brooklyn pastor arrested in connection with a fatal 2014 fire was arraigned Thursday for allegedly creating a dangerous environment in the building, which he owns. A judge set bail for Luckner
News 12 Staff
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Jul 29, 2016, 6:49 AM
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Updated 2,837 days ago
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The Brooklyn pastor arrested in connection with a fatal 2014 fire was arraigned Thursday for allegedly creating a dangerous environment in the building, which he owns.
A judge set bail for Luckner Lorient, 78, at $1 million.
The fire killed one man and injured nine other people, including four children. It happened in a building that housed his church and also a handful of allegedly illegal apartments.
Prosecutors accuse Lorient of converting two apartments in the Flatbush building into 11 rooms that housed 23 people. They claim he knowingly disregarded safety issues for more than a decade.
Lorient's lawyer says that his tenants were the ones who illegally subdivided their apartments. According to family members, Lorient was trying to evict the renters at the time.
But prosecutors say Lorient knew exactly what was going on and received numerous violations for the apartments.
If convicted of the most serious charges, Lorient could face up to 15 years in prison.
