Following a years-long investigation three men, including two who are firefighters, are accused of purposely starting a number of fires in the Upper Hudson Valley.

State Police began an investigation in August 2014, when the Niverville Fire department and police responded to a report of a car fire on Maple Lane, in the Town of Kinderhook. Police determined the fire was started on purpose.

While investigating that incident, with the assistance of the Columbia County Fire Coordinator's Office, the Columbia County Cause and Origin Team and the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office, State Police uncovered a trail of several other alleged crimes over the previous 4 years.

Police say the 3 men are connected to an arson fire set to a barn on CR-21 in the Town of Stuyvesant in April of 2014, a previous vehicle arson fire reported in October of 2012 on Kinder Drive in the Town of Stuyvesant and the false report of an emergency incident on the Hudson River near the Stuyvesant Boat launch in the Town of Stuyvesant, which brought several emergency services departments to the river in search for a victim that was later determined to be a hoax.

On May 7, 2015, 23-yeare-old Lucas J. Briggs, of Hudson and Tanner J. Rivenburgh, 20, of Stottville, were each charged with one count of arson, a felony, in connection to the vehicle fire in August of 2014.

Thursday, a Columbia County Grand Jury handed up an 11 count indictment against 32-year-old Ryan J. Hogencamp, of Kinderhook for his alleged involvement in the crimes. He was charged with
three counts of arson, two counts of insurance fraud, three counts of falsifying business records, felonies, two counts of making a false written statement, and falsely reporting an incident, misdemeanors.

Hogencamp was arraigned in Columbia County Court and was remanded to Columbia County Jail in lieu of $35, 000 cash or $70,000 bail.

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