Man Charged with Arson; Wife Accused of Stealing Nearly $170,000 from Family Business

ARSON-imageFOREST CO., Pa. (EYT) – A Leeper man is facing felony arson charges in connection with a 2015 fire at his Tionesta residence. In an unrelated case, his wife is facing 87 charges related to the theft of nearly $170,000.00 from the family business.

On January 30, Marienville-based State Police Tpr. Watters filed felony arson and related charges against 51-year-old William Dean Carll of Leeper.

The charges stem from a fire that occurred at Carll’s 205 Bonner Street, Tionesta home on June 7, 2015, around 2:00 a.m.

Six people lived in the residence, including William D. Carll, his wife Kimberly, and their children.

The fire – which caused extensive damage – was extinguished by Tionesta Volunteer Fire Department and Hickory Volunteer Fire Department.

Tpr. Southern initially responded and determined the fire originated near a staircase on the west side of the residence. He was unable to determine the cause of the fire due to the extent of the damages.

Tpr. Watters Begins Investigation

After Tpr. Southern was unable to determine the cause of the fire, he requested assistance from Tpr. Watters. Carll’s insurance company, Mutual Benefit, and a fire investigation company, Ryhal & Associates, assisted with the case, according to a criminal complaint filed in Forest County District Court by Tpr. Watters.

After receiving initial information from Mutual Benefit, it was determined that on April 24, 2015 (prior to the fire), the Carlls inquired as to whether or not they would be required to rebuild on the same property if they suffered a total loss.

The criminal complaint states that Tpr. Watters then obtained a court order for the cell phone records of Kimberly and William D. Carll.

Phone records revealed that four calls were made from William D. Carll’s cell phone to Kimberly Carll’s cell phone just before the fire occurred.

William and Kimberly Carll Interviewed

When Tpr. Southern interviewed William D. Carll on the night of the fire, Carll stated that he and his wife were at a casino in Erie and saw their house burning on their trip home as they crossed the Route 36/62 bridge.

On June 12, 2015, William and Kimberly Carll were interviewed by Ryhal & Associates and provided matching information.

However, on September 15, 2015, William D. Carll provided conflicting information during an Examination Under Oath conducted by a Mutual Benefit attorney.

The criminal complaint states that Carll testified that he entered the residence and retrieved a coat from a first-floor closet after returning from the casino.

Carll stated that he initially denied being in the house, “because it just looked horrible.”

Communications Point to William D. Carll

On July 7, 2016, Tpr. Watters was contacted by a witness who stated that she received a text message from Kimberly Carll that said, “Yeah so Dean might not be so perfect he started the fire at our house.”

Kimberly Carll also allegedly told her daughter that William D. Carll set the fire.

Investigation Reveals Arson

According to the criminal complaint, investigators reviewed the physical evidence and determined that the fire was set intentionally.

It was determined that the fire originated on, or around, the staircase located on the west side of the residence, specifically near the closet area under the stairs.

“An ignition sequence can be logically inferred using data discovered during this investigation,” said Tpr. Watters in the criminal complaint. “In this case, an open flame such as a lighter or hand held torch was used to ignite the fire.”

“The Carlls had been trying to sell the home in the months prior to the fire,” Tpr. Watters continued. “There was $608,300.00 of insurance on the home and contents of the residence. The defendant has admitted to being in the residence at the time this fire is estimated to have started.”

Charges Filed, Preliminary Hearing Set for February 7

Tpr. Watters subsequently filed the following charges against William D. Carll on January 30 at District Judge Daniel Miller’s office in Tionesta:

  • Arson-Danger Of Death Or Bodily Injury, Felony 1
  • Arson-Intent Collect Insurance, Felony 2
  • False/Fraud/Incomplete Insurance Claim, Felony 3
  • Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2

Bail was set at $250,000.00 unsecured.

A preliminary hearing is set for February 7 at 10:30 a.m. in Warren County District Court with Magisterial District Judge Glenn S. Carlson presiding.

Kimberly Carll Facing Dozens of Theft Charges in Unrelated Case

In an unrelated case, 50-year-old Kimberly Carll is facing 87 charges related to the alleged theft of currency from William Carll and Sons, Inc. dba The Other Half, a construction company located in Tionesta Township, Forest County.

The company is owned by William “Dean” Carll (Kimberly’s husband) and his brother Doug Carll.

Kimberly Carll had taken care of bookkeeping for the company since 2001 when William and Doug purchased the business from their father.

“The business was running well, and there were no problems with creditors,” according to a criminal complaint filed by Tpr. Watters. “However, Doug (and another party) had heard rumors that Dean and Kimberly were considering bankruptcy.”

“Doug (and another party) became concerned, went to the company’s bank, and obtained copies of the business checking account records,” the complaint continues.

Numerous payments to non-business accounts were discovered, including payments on personal loans in the names of Kimberly Carll and William “Dean” Carll. Credit card payments and automobile loan payments were also discovered.

Additionally, extra payments and lump sum checks were written to William “Dean” Carll.

Kimberly Carll is accused of stealing an estimated total of $169,150.00 from the business between 2011 and 2016.

When confronted via text about the transactions, Kimberly Carll allegedly replied, “I was going to pay it back.”

William D. Carll stated that “he had no idea what Kimberly had been doing.”

Tpr. Watters subsequently filed the following charges against Kimberly Carll at Judge Miller’s office:

  • Theft By Unlawful Taking-Movable Property, Felony 3 (15 counts)
  • Theft By Unlawful Taking-Movable Property, Misdemeanor 1 (50 counts)
  • Theft By Unlawful Taking-Movable Property, Misdemeanor 2 (13 counts)
  • Theft By Unlawful Taking-Movable Property, Unknown Grade (9 counts)

Bail was set at $250,000.00 unsecured.

A preliminary hearing is set for February 7 at 10:00 a.m. in Warren County District Court with Magisterial District Judge Glenn S. Carlson presiding.


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