A Salisbury man will serve 5 to 10 years in prison for breaking into a Franklin home and setting it on fire in December.
Guy Wheeler, 57, was convicted Friday in Merrimack County Superior Court on felony charges of arson, burglary, criminal mischief and reckless conduct for breaking into 11 Rose Lane in Franklin on Dec. 3, 2018.
He will serve 5 to 10 years in the New Hampshire State Prison and to pay restitution for the arson. He faces additional suspended prison time the court could impose if he is not on good behavior.
Wheeler was seen on surveillance footage breaking into 11 Rose Lane on Dec. 3 while its owners were out of the country, burglarizing it and setting combustible items on the kitchen stove to start a fire, according to police. The fire destroyed the home, damaged a car in the driveway and melted the siding of neighboring homes.
Wheeler was arrested on December 20, 2018 and has been held in the Merrimack County Jail since his arrest.