Richard Ramsey, 47, of Saratoga Springs, New York, is facing federal perjury charges after an indictment unsealed today revealed he lied repeatedly to a grand jury investigating a deadly arson that killed four people in Schenectady on May 2, 2013. The fire at 438 Hulett Street claimed the lives of David Terry and three young children, seriously injured another child, and reduced the home to rubble. Ramsey is accused of feeding false testimony over three separate grand jury appearances.
U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and ATF Special Agent in Charge Ashan M. Benedict confirmed the charges, which stem from sworn statements Ramsey made on October 11, 2013, January 10, 2014, and May 5, 2016. Prosecutors allege Ramsey offered contradictory accounts about his involvement with Robert Butler and the use of his car on the night of the fire. Each of the four counts in the indictment centers on a specific inconsistency so glaring that at least one version must be a lie.
Count One charges Ramsey with falsely testifying about letting Robert Butler use his car on May 2, 2013. By 2016, he reversed his story. Count Two accuses him of claiming he drove the car to a location so Butler could pick it up—then later denying that act. Count Three focuses on a license plate Ramsey said he found in a barn and attached to his vehicle—testimony he later contradicted. Count Four centers on his reason for scrapping the car: initially claiming he believed it was used in the arson, then offering a different explanation years later.
Ramsey appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel and was held without bail pending his arraignment and detention hearing scheduled for Monday, October 24 at 1:30 p.m. The charges are merely accusations; Ramsey is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But if convicted on all four counts, he faces up to 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
The case is part of an ongoing investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Schenectady Police Department, and the Schenectady Fire Department. It is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne A. Myers. Federal authorities stress that the probe into the homicide remains active, with no arrests yet made in the arson itself.
ATF is offering a reward of up to $40,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the Hulett Street fire. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 1-888-ATF-FIRE (1-888-283-3473), emailing ATFTips@atf.gov, or visiting www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips. Investigators say every lead matters—especially now, as the trail to justice grows colder.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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