Man Guilty of Arson In Bensalem Commercial Building Fire

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA —A New Jersey man was convicted of arson in federal court Thursday for a fire at a commercial building that injured a firefighter two years ago.

U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ramiz Duka, 61, of Cherry Hill, N.J., was convicted at a trial of conspiracy to commit arson.

Authorities said Duka recruited two men into a conspiracy to set fire to a warehouse located at 1388 Bridgewater Rd., paying them $15,000 to do so.

Over several weeks, the three co-conspirators met and planned the arson.

On Dec. 10, 2022, one of the men recruited to the conspiracy by Duka set fire to the building.

During fire suppression operations, Firefighter Nicholas Altomare was seriously injured when a ladder collapsed.

Altomare was out of work for some time but returned to full duty after recovering from his injuries, authorities said.

Damages from the fire totaled nearly $6 million.

At sentencing, Duka faces a mandatory minimum of five years of imprisonment and a maximum possible sentence of 20 years.

"We would like to recognize the efforts of all volunteer firefighters who fought this blaze in December 2022, with special thanks to Nick Altomare for his efforts, recovery, and continuing work with Bensalem Fire Rescue," the police department said.