China Frees American Jailed for Hotel Fire

China announced today the surprise Thanksgiving Day release of a U.S. businessman serving a controversial 18-month prison sentence for accidentally causing a hotel fire in which 10 people died.

Richard Ondrik, 34, of Houston, was being released in the northeastern city of Harbin, where he has been held since his June 26 arrest on charges of starting a fire April 19 in the Swan Hotel, officials said. Western sources said they understood that Ondrik will be free to leave or to continue working in China.

Ondrik was sentenced Aug. 13 by the Harbin court to 18 months and ordered to pay $53,000 in damages for unintentionally causing the fire in which five North Koreans, four Chinese and Ondrik’s Hong Kong business partner were killed.

Prosecutors charged that the midnight fire started when Ondrik fell asleep while smoking in bed. Ondrik, who was in Harbin on business and had drunk some alcohol at a Chinese banquet on the night of the fire, said he could not recall smoking in bed and said he had never done so before.

The handling of his case upset his American lawyers and many members of the foreign business community, who said he was prevented from putting forward a complete defense.