March 07, 2018 - 5:10 AM
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - A former upstate New York housing inspector has been acquitted of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection with a 2015 fire that claimed four lives.
The Times Union says Kenneth Tyree's eyes welled with tears when the verdict was announced Tuesday in Schenectady.
Tyree could still face up to four years behind bars. He will be sentenced May 8 for failing to disclose past convictions on his job application.
Prosecutors say Tyree inspected the building less than 24 hours before the fire, but failed to notice that an alarm system didn't work.
The defence said Tyree wasn't trained properly, lacked state certification and relied heavily on a supervisor for guidance.
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Information from: Times Union, http://www.timesunion.com
News from © The Associated Press, 2018