The Buffalo man who pleaded guilty in July to intentionally starting the 2024 fire that burned down the Old Pink restaurant and bar on Allen Street was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday.
John W. Burns, 42, faced a mandatory minimum of five years for the June 17, 2024 fire, which he started with a blue propane plumbers torch following an argument and fight earlier in the evening that culminated in Burns saying "I’ll be back (expletive), I’ll burn that (expletive) down, ain’t nobody going to have a job."
Subsequent text messages between Burns and an associate also alluded to the arson, with Burns sending messages such as "Bail me out if I don’t call you at noon..." and "Made my bed. Gonna defend it to the death at this point."