The Juneau man who started the fire that destroyed the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church 12 years ago is headed back to prison for breaking the law and racking up nearly 30 probation violations.
During a hearing Tuesday in Juneau Superior Court, Robert Huber, 36, had his probation revoked and was ordered to spend another three years behind bars.
Huber said very little during the hour-long hearing.
“I just really want to say I’m really ready just to move forward with my life,” Huber said. “That’s it.”
In 2006, Huber admitted to starting that year’s biggest downtown fire which burned down the 110-year-old Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
Huber said then that he was humiliated when he was kicked out of a nearby party.
He said he found a gasoline can next to the church, poured it out, and then ignited it.
The original McPhetres Hall and an adjacent house also were destroyed. A 15-year-old house cat was the only death.
For the arson, Huber was sentenced to 15 years in prison with seven years suspended, meaning eight years to serve. He was also sentenced to 10 years probation and perform a thousand hours of community work service.
He eventually was ordered to pay restitution of at least $3.6 million.
Since Huber got out of prison, he has performed less than a hundred hours of community work service and paid nearly $1,200 in restitution.
In 2014, Superior Court Judge Louis Menendez sentenced Huber to four months in prison for assaulting his girlfriend.
Menendez said Tuesday he already sentenced Huber to a total of eight days in jail last year for probation violations, including drug use and failing to report to his probation officer.
After more probation violations – now 28 in total – and a suspected vehicle theft, prosecutors wanted to impose the remaining seven years of suspended time.
Huber’s defense attorney instead argued for 23 months and said Huber wanted to leave Juneau and start his life over.
Before sending Huber back to prison for three years, Menendez said he was surprised that very little restitution had been paid.
“He’s had enormous opportunities in life,” Menendez said. “He’s had friends. He’s had family. He has people who’ve engaged him. He’s a smart articulate individual who could accomplish anything. But he chose not to engage that process. He chose, rather, to take the easier road, to blame others for his tragedy, to not work to remedy the errors that he accomplished in his life. He’s done the exact opposite. He’s worked against that.”
The Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and McPhetres Hall were rebuilt after the fire.
