Propane technician accused in Sterling home explosion found guilty
Propane technician accused in VA home explosion found guilty
A propane technician accused of involuntary manslaughter for his role in a deadly 2024 home explosion in Sterling has been found guilty.
LOUDOUN CO., Va. - A propane technician accused of involuntary manslaughter for his role in a deadly 2024 home explosion in Sterling has been found guilty.
The jury came back with a verdict in the case of Roger Lee Bentley on Monday, July 21 after a seven-day trial.
In addition to the involuntary manslaughter charge, he was also convicted on one count of misdemeanor unlawful release of hazardous materials, one count of misdemeanor failure to maintain required records of hazardous materials release and one count of misdemeanor failure to control or mitigate unauthorized discharge of hazardous materials.
The backstory:
Bentley, 68, was the propane technician who serviced a home on Silver Ridge Drive in Sterling in February 2024.
The homeowner had a 500-gallon propane tank—which she did not use—that had a leak and early last year, she wanted to get it fixed so she could sell the home.
For reasons we don’t know, the tank was filled on Feb. 16, 2024. Almost immediately, she smelled gas and called the company, who then sent Bentley.
According to the prosecution and the homeowner's testimony, she asked Bentley multiple times if she should call the fire department. She says she was reportedly told no and that the propane should be allowed to seep out, and that it wasn't an emergency.
Four hours later, the home exploded, killing Loudoun County volunteer firefighter Trevor Brown and injuring 13 others.
Chief Williams on Monday said eight of 10 firefighters who were hurt are back on the job while two are still recovering.
"It's an important trial, it's an important chapter in our overall recovery but nothing brings Trevor back. So, it's one chapter in figuring out what's next," Williams said.
RELATED: Jury deliberations underway for propane technician accused in Sterling home explosion
The other side:
The defense said Bentley followed his training and wasn’t aware of the leak in the underground tank and stressed that the homeowner should call him if there were issues.
They argued that the propane tank had a documented history of issues and suggested that those problems may not have been fully documented and communicated to technicians.
Hours after he left, a neighbor called 911. Firefighters evacuated the house and the explosion happened a short time later, killing Brown.
Bentley's defense team declined to speak following Monday's verdict, only saying they were disappointed.
The involuntary manslaughter charge carries anywhere from probation to ten years behind bars.
What's next:
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 6 at 1:00 p.m.
Statement:
The attorneys for the plaintiffs in the case released a statement following the guilty verdict. Read it in full below:
First and foremost, we would like to thank the jurors for their diligent and thorough review of the evidence in this case. This was a difficult case that required the jurors to hear extensive expert testimony and from numerous jurors took their responsibility seriously and did not rush to a judgment.
As I have said before, this tragedy was not unforeseeable nor was it unavoidable. Southern States is a major corporation in the business of transporting and handling highly flammable substances. They had serviced this tank before. They were aware that the propane tank in question had been flagged for issues. Despite that, it was filled - and when it continued to leak, they left. These decisions set in motion a chain of events that led to catastrophic consequences, including the death of Trevor Brown and injuring numerous other firefighters and civilians.
This was a preventable disaster—plain and simple. It was mishandled from the outset. Our position has always been, and remains, that this was the result of systemic failure by Southern States.
Criminal trials deal with individual culpability of the accused. Our civil action is about corporate accountability and the liability of the individual defendants —and that case is moving forward. We are far from finished. We intend to hold Southern States fully accountable for the harm and devastation inflicted on our clients and their families.
-Demetry Pikrallidas
Counsel for Karam Mashaal and Two Additional Plaintiffs