A 34-year-old Nichols man is facing several felony charges for arson after a year-long investigation.
According to the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office, Benjamin B. McCluhan has been charged with felony arson in the first degree, conspiracy in the second degree, four counts of arson in the third degree, two counts of insurance fraud in the third degree and two counts of conspiracy in the fourth degree, as well as several misdemeanors.
These charges resulted from a 12-month investigation conducted by the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, Tioga County Fire Investigation Team, New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control and the New York State Police following several suspicious structure fires that occurred in November and December of 2024 in the Town of Berkshire.
McCluhan was taken into custody by the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office in the State of Alabama on Dec. 1 as a fugitive from justice and later transported to New York State by the US Marshals Service.
McCluhan was arraigned on the indictment in Tioga County Court on Thursday and remanded on $30,000 bail.
