A Beaver County man has been sentenced to spend up to 10 years in prison following his admission that he set a fire that destroyed his home and a neighbor's house.

Thomas Reinhardt, 48, of New Brighton, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to charges of arson and causing a catastrophe before Common Pleas Judge John P. Dohanich. Each charge carries a sentence of 2 1/2 to 5 years; the judge ordered Mr. Reinhardt to serve the sentences consecutively.

Judge Dohanich also ordered him to pay $344,900 in restitution to two families whose neighboring homes also caught fire after Mr. Reinhardt set his home ablaze on the morning of April 5.

Mr. Reinhardt initially told investigators he was in his truck, pulled over at a rest stop in Cranberry, when the fire erupted. But after global positioning system records from his commercial truck proved he was at his house, Mr. Reinhardt admitted to dumping nail polish remover on his carpet and igniting it.

The fire destroyed his house and another adjacent house and damaged the house on the other side.