St. Louis man sentenced to probation after starting fire

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A St. Louis man charged after he set a Helitech trailer on fire in Callaway County in May 2024 was sentenced on Monday.

Josef Black pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly burning or exploding and two counts of first-degree property damage. Prosecutors dropped a misdemeanor charge of first-degree trespassing as part of an agreement.

Online court records state his sentence was suspended and Black was given five years of supervised probation with special conditions to get a substance abuse and mental health evaluation done, five days of shock treatment at the Callaway County jail and pay restitution of $10,075 to the defendant.

If Black fails to meet these conditions, he will spend four years in the Department of Corrections, according to online records.

By pleading guilty, Black admitted to throwing gravel at cars at Helitech and breaking windows, along with pouring gasoline to set the trailer on fire. He also suffered burns on his body after the fire.