A Carroll man convicted for an Aug. 2020 arson was sentenced today (Tuesday) in Carroll County District Court. Fifty-five-year-old Kelly Dean Warnke pled guilty to a lesser included offense, second-degree arson, a class C felony, as part of an agreement reached with prosecutors in March. In exchange for his plea, a 10-year prison sentence was suspended and Warnke was placed on probation for five years to the Iowa Department of Correctional Services. Warnke was arrested last October following a Carroll Police Department investigation into the Aug. 26 fire at the home in the 1100 block of N. Clark Street. Initially, he was charged with first-degree arson, a class B felony. Authorities say Warnke poured gasoline in the home’s attached garage and ignited it, resulting in extensive damage to the home and a neighboring residence. In addition to probation, Warnke was ordered to pay $9,000 in victim restitution with an additional $1,500 in fines and surcharges also suspended.
