The World : China Sentences American
A U.S. businessman accused of starting a fatal fire in a hotel in the Manchurian city of Harbin was found guilty of criminal negligence by a Chinese court and sentenced to 18 months in prison, a court official said. Richard S. Ondrik, 34, an Indiana native employed by a Hong Kong firm, also was ordered to pay damages of almost $52,000. Ondrik had faced a maximum seven-year sentence on a charge of negligently starting the April 18 blaze in the new, luxury Swan Hotel by smoking in bed. Ten people died in the fire.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
