Man pleads guilty to second-degree arson

PALMER — A man who tried to burn down his house in September 2014 pleaded guilty to a reduced charge Tuesday.

Kelley Priestley, 46, now of Fairbanks, was charged with attempted first-degree arson in 2014 after allegedly telling troopers he wanted to “start over,” and setting fire to his house along Kaye Marie Drive. Priestley pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree arson in an open sentencing, meaning presiding judge Gregory Heath will ultimately decide his sentence once a confidential pre-sentencing report is prepared.

Priestley also agreed not to dispute details included in the police report, and agreed to conditions of probation relating to mental health. Troopers said Priestley turned off the gas inside his home to prevent an explosion, and they found smoke detectors throughout the house with the batteries removed.

Priestley, who has no prior criminal record, faces a presumptive sentence of between zero and two years, according to the conditions of a sentencing agreement read out in court by a prosecutor.

Priestley is the registered owner of Aurora Data Systems — under the name “Kelly Priestley” — described as a four-employee technology company providing software to oil companies in a 1997 Seattle Times article about tech growth in Alaska. The business was founded in 1995, and temporarily dissolved by the Department of Commerce between 2011 and 2013 for failing to provide biannual reports.

Priestley’s sentencing is set for April 8, 2016.

Contact reporter Brian O’Connor at 352-2270, brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com, or on Twitter @reporterbriano.