A homeless man is being held Wednesday on a number of charges including arson in connection with the massive May 2 warehouse fire in Greepoint.
Police say Leszek Kuczera, 59, confessed to setting the fire that destroyed a historic waterfront complex. They say it happened while he was trying to burn insulation off a copper cable he planned to sell as scrap. Police also announced Wednesday that the owner, Joshua Guttman, was facing misdemeanor charges of failing to repair dilapidated piers. Records show the developer had a history of suspected arson at other properties he owns. However, investigators now say there is no evidence that Kuczera and Guttman were involved in a scam to intentionally torch the property.
The fire took nearly 36 hours to douse and was deemed the city's biggest fire in 10 years, excluding the World Trade Center disaster.
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