A Carbon County man admitted setting a barn on fire and was sentenced to a county prison term last week.

Joseph Michael Janko-Hudson, 42, pleaded to one count of risking a catastrophe, a felony 3, in exchange for felony counts of arson - intent to destroy an unoccupied building, criminal mischief/damage property with intent, reckless, or negligence and a misdemeanor count of recklessly endangering another person being dropped in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.

Janko-Hudson entered his plea before Judge Joseph J. Matika last Friday.

Matika sentenced him to serve nine to 23 months in prison followed by two years of probation. He also faces a big restitution bill. He was given credit for 294 days already served in the prison and paroled. He has been in jail since his arrest.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by trooper Bradley Emerick of the Lehighton barracks:

At 12:42 p.m. on May 29, 2020, police received a report of a barn fire at 695 Hahn’s Dairy Road. Several state troopers were met by Janko-Hudson, who was sitting to the right of the burning barn. He was making no move to extinguish the fire.

Emerick interviewed the victim on scene who said that she dropped off Janko-Hudson in Palmerton following an argument within her vehicle. The victim said she returned home and saw Janko-Hudson walking down the driveway. He then entered the barn and let the horses out.

She said she saw smoke and flames coming from the front left side of the barn where the hay is located and Janko-Hudson walked from the burning barn to the horse pasture and then sat down to watch.

The victim then asked Janko-Hudson why he did what he did, and he replied, “I told you, I don’t care anymore.”

The victim then said she attempted to put out the fire while Janko-Hudson made no attempts to help extinguish the fire, but rather sat and watched.

In addition to the prison term, Janko-Hudson was ordered to make restitution of $10,000, get a mental health evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, supply a DNA sample, pay court costs of about $1,000, have no contact with the victim and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation.