Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 32-year-old Nicholas Harms of Eden has been arraigned by Erie County Court Judge Michael Pietruszka on an indictment charging him with one count of Burglary in the Second Degree and one count of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree. Both are felony charges.

In the early morning of August 22, 2017, a fire broke out in the attached garage of a home on Rosedale Avenue in the Village of Hamburg. A family of five was asleep at the time, and was forced to escape the blaze from a second-floor window. One person was injured and a family dog did not survive.

Police located the defendant nearby who had a debit card and other stolen property from the home in his possession.

If convicted on all charges, Harms faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.

Harms is due back in court on Monday, April 23 at 9:30 a.m. for further proceedings. He remains free on $100,000 bond.

Felony Trials Bureau Chief Paul J. Glascott is prosecuting the case.

As are all persons accused of a crime, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.