Colorado man who set friend on fire seeks sentence reduction

PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) - A Colorado man convicted of setting his friend on fire is seeking a sentence reduction.

The Pueblo Chieftain reports 35-year-old Michael Scavarda of Canon City was sentenced in July to 15 years in prison after a Fremont County jury found him guilty of assault, arson and menacing charges.

Authorities say Scavarda threw gasoline on 41-year-old Jason Crowder and set him on fire in March 2017, causing severe burns.

Defense Attorney Joe Koncilja says he plans to file a motion for a sentence reconsideration and is considering seeking a new trial.

Koncilja claims a juror had improperly brought extraneous information into the jury room that could have prejudiced the case.

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Information from: The Pueblo Chieftain, http://www.chieftain.com