Former Nockamixon chiropractor sentenced to 17 years for arson

Published: 2011-09-12 15:56:42
Author: Theresa Hegel | phillyBurbs | September 11, 2011

Jonathan P. Wiktorchik Jr., 59, of Upper Southampton, was sentenced Friday to 17 years in prison for setting a fire that destroyed a small strip shopping center in Nockamixon, said U.S. Attorney Zane D. Memeger.

In March 2008, the former chiropractor used gasoline to ignite the Bucks County Chiropractic Center on Mountain View Road. He and his wife owned the property.

The resulting explosion and fire destroyed his business and four others: a sportsman’s retailer, a hair salon, a tattoo parlor and an auto supply shop.

Wiktorchik filed a claim with the Maryland Casualty Co., receiving a partial payment from the insurance company for $50,000.

In March, a federal jury convicted Wiktorchik of arson, mail fraud and making false statements to federal investigators.

During the investigation into the fire, Wiktorchik lied to federal agents on three occasions, first claiming he was on a camping trip with his son during the time the fire was set and not at the scene of the arson. He then admitted that his first explanation was false and that he left the campsite early in the morning to check on his business. He claimed that when he arrived at the scene, he was assaulted by Spanish-speaking gang members, who caused the explosion and fire.

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