A 28-year-old Shattuc man has been sentenced to four years in prison in Clinton County Court for a fire that caused minor damage at the Best Western Motel as well as for breaking out a large window at the Beal’s Department Store in Centralia.
Billy Muench pleaded guilty to arson and criminal damage to property on Monday before receiving the prison sentence. It will be followed by one year of mandatory supervised release for arson and a six-month period of mandatory supervised release for criminal damage to property.
Muench allegedly broke out a glass window and dented a door at Beal’s in April 2024 causing more than $500 damage and then was charged in December 2024 with arson at the Best Western after setting a roll of toilet paper on fire in a trash can. Firemen say upon arrival they found a light haze but no fire. Munch is also accused of breaking an inside window but failing to break an outside window. Damage at the time was estimated at $7,000.
Clay County State’s Attorney Phillip Givens was special prosecutor in the case. He commended the Centralia Police Department and Centralia Fire Departments for working so swiftly and efficiently on the two cases.
