A Wellman man has been arrested on two felony arson charges. 

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office served a warrant on Friday to 57-year-old Richard Williams while he was being held in the Washington County Jail on a reckless use of explosives charge, a serious misdemeanor related to the same incident. 

On October 22nd, officials were notified that Williams had allegedly started his garage on fire. It is alleged in court records that Williams had threatened to burn the residence before but had not followed through. The deputy arrived on scene in the 1200 block of 7th Avenue in Wellman. Authorities observed the motorcycle in the garage to be fully engulfed, and it eventually caused the garage to become engulfed in flames.

The deputy located Williams who was holding a firearm, and was able to get him to drop the firearm and was detained without incident. Williams stated there were 2500-3000 rounds of ammunition in the basement, which was on fire. The fire department was notified about the ammunition. 

Once the fire was extinguished the deputy went inside the basement and located a bottle of liquor that was lit on fire. It was partially burnt by the fire, and there was a small cigarette lighter located on the water heater right outside the room. 

Williams was charged with two counts of second degree arson, class C felonies. He is currently being held in the Washington County Jail on a $50,000 bond. A preliminary hearing has been set for November 3rd.