Rockland Rabbis Avoid Jail Time In Fatal Fire Plea Deal

NEW CITY, NY — The two rabbis accused of causing the fatal fire at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults in 2021 pleaded guilty Tuesday in Rockland County Court.

Nathaniel Sommer, 72, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of second-degree manslaughter, one for fire Lieut. Jared Lloyd and one for resident Oliver Hueston. The manslaughter charge was the top count in the indictment against him, the District Attorney's Office said. The original indictment also included negligent homicide, second-degree assault, arson and reckless endangerment.

Aaron Sommer, 29, pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor.

Judge Kevin Russo accepted the guilty pleas from the Monsey residents, and said he intended to impose a sentence of five years probation for the father and three years probation for the son. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 20.

A state report released in January succinctly laid out the apparent cause of the fire that killed Lloyd and Hueston, destroyed the facility and displaced more than 100 residents: "the reckless and unpermitted use of a blow torch with a 20-pound propane tank and the use and conveyance of multiple large shovelfuls of hot burning coals into the facility during a ritual cleansing in preparation for an upcoming religious holiday conducted in the Evergreen Facility’s dairy kitchen ultimately which caused a fire to build within the wall and ceiling above the kitchen, erupting into 'a raging inferno' and spreading to adjacent portions of the facility."

The massive blaze and rescue operation drew in about 100 firefighters from four counties. Lloyd repeatedly entered the building to save residents, before sending out a Mayday call from an upper floor as it collapsed.

Lloyd's mother told NBC she was not consulted by the DA's office about the disposition of the case: "it was a done deal."

Rockland County Executive Ed Day said it was a regrettable situation.

"As it stands now, the plea agreement in this matter is unacceptable to the families of those involved, unacceptable to our volunteer firefighters, and therefore is certainly unacceptable to me," he said. "All that was accomplished today was to see more pain inflicted upon the families of those who died. In that regard, justice has not been served."

Supporters of Columbian Engine Co. No 1, where Lloyd was a volunteer, protested outside the courthouse in New City.

Attorneys for the rabbis had tried unsuccessfully to have the charges dropped entirely, saying the father and son had performed the same pre-Passover ritual at Evergreen 17 times before, but Judge Russo upheld the indictment in 2022.

Russo dismissed cases in 2023 against former Spring Valley Building Inspector Wayne Ballard and former Spring Valley Building Inspector Ray Canario. Both had been charged in connection with the fire at the facility, a century-old hotel commonly considered a death trap.

SEE ALSO:

• Rockland County Exec Decries Evergreen Court Fire Plea Deal Report
• Evergreen Court Home's Owners Plan To Rebuild