Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 73-year-old Santo Cok of Buffalo has been sentenced by Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan to an indeterminate sentence of 3 to 9 years in prison.

On April 19, 2018, the defendant disconnected a gas line inside his Covington Road home and lit a candle in attempt to destroy the house. The explosion caused a fire, which spread throughout the North Buffalo house and damaged two neighboring homes.

In October 2018, Cok pleaded guilty to one count of Arson in the Third Degree, two counts of Arson in the Fourth Degree and one count of Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree. The defendant pleaded guilty to all of the charges in the indictment against him.

DA Flynn would like to commend all of the first responding members of the Buffalo Fire Department and the Buffalo Police Department for their actions in this dangerous situation. Also, DA Flynn would like to acknowledge the investigative work of Captain Edwin Ortiz of the Buffalo Fire Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Nathanael C. Kapperman and James M. Marra of the DA’s Felony Trials Bureau.