Tuckerton, NJ, Man Pleads Guilty in 2024 Little Egg Harbor Twp. Arson

• Thomas Lester pleaded guilty to aggravated arson in a 2024 house fire
• Sentencing for Lester and a co-defendant is scheduled for November 17
• The State will push for a 3-year prison sentence

Little Egg Harbor Arson Case

An Ocean County man is facing up to three years behind bars for starting a fire in a home last year.

Thomas Lester Pleads Guilty

On Monday, 21-year-old Thomas Lester of Tuckerton pleaded guilty to aggravated arson and criminal mischief charges.

2024 House Fire

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office says just before 3:30 AM on January 8th, 2024, the Little Egg Harbor Township Police and Fire Departments were called to a structure fire on National Union Boulevard.

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An extensive investigation conducted by numerous agencies revealed that the fire started in the living room of the structure, and the cause of the blaze was determined to be incendiary by an unknown person(s) "utilizing an open flame to ignitable liquid."

Authorities determined that Lester and Ethan Salter, both 20 years old at the time and from Little Egg Harbor Township, were responsible for setting the fire.

On March 7th of that year, the pair was taken into custody without incident at their respective homes.

Co-defendant Ethan Salter Also Pleaded Guilty

On April 28th, 2025, Salter pleaded guilty to aggravated arson.

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Sentencing Scheduled for November 17

Sentencing for both men is scheduled for November 17th. The State will be seeking a term of three years in state prison.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer thanked his office's arson and high-tech crimes squads, the Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department Detective Bureau, the Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, the New Jersey State Fire Marshal's Office, and the Ocean County Fire Marshal's Office for their work in this case.