Sean Gahagan, 56, of Lebanon, Pa.
A man with a lengthy criminal history, including a prior arson conviction, has been arrested and charged in connection with a pair of fires in Montgomery County.
Sean Gahagan, 56, of Lebanon, Pa., has been charged with felony counts of arson, reckless burning, risking catastrophe, criminal mischief, theft by unlawful taking, burglary, and related offenses, stemming from investigations into a pair of fires that occurred during the evening of Dec. 29, 2023 in Upper Moreland and Lower Moreland townships.
Gahagan is currently being held on $500,000 cash bail.
Investigators said Gahagan is a former employee of JG Transmissions, located along the 600 block of Davisville Road in Upper Moreland, and he had returned to the business around 10 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2023 asking for work. After being told there was no work available, Gahagan left in his red Chevy Cobalt vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.
Gahagan allegedly returned to JG Transmissions around 8:39 p.m. and used an accelerant to set fire to the building, with first responders finding the building fully engulfed in flames, the report states. Despite efforts from fire crews on scene, the building was completely destroyed, police said.
Just 15 minutes prior to the fire at JG Transmissions, police in Lower Moreland encountered a small shed fire at the back of a residential property. Police were able to extinguish the fire prior to the arrival of firefighters, and an investigation into that incident revealed that the fire was intentionally set, officials said.
In both incidents, surveillance footage from the areas showed Gahagan’s vehicle near where the fires were set, the report states. And in the case of the JB Transmissions fire, a male believed to be Gahagan was caught on video running towards the business prior to the start of the fire and away from the business after the fire was set, according to charging documents.
On Jan. 1, Gahagan was arrested for allegedly trespassing inside of a church in Lebanon, Pa. At the time of his arrest, Gahagan was wearing the same camouflage coat that he was wearing when he spoke with the staff at JG Transmission, which also matched the coat of the man seen running from the business after the fire began, police said.
Gahagan was arraigned last week on the charges in Montgomery County, and his next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Jan. 29 at 1:30 p.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Thomas Murt.
A review of Gahagan’s criminal history by this news organization reveals a lengthy list of charges and convictions spanning several decades. Convictions include DUI, simple assault, criminal trespassing, loitering, and other charges, as well as multiple parole and probation violations.
Court records also show Gahagan previously pleaded guilty to arson in Lower Moreland in August 2004, at which time he was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in county jail followed by five years’ probation. He was sentenced to additional time in that case in January 2010 for violating his probation, court records show.
While the nature of that incident is not readily available, a source with knowledge of that investigation said the fire was retaliatory in nature.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
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