AUBURN – The owner of a cluster of Lisbon Street buildings destroyed by fire last December is suing a trio of arsonists convicted in connection with the crime.

Tim Corp. of Auburn filed a lawsuit in Androscoggin County Superior Court against Troy Littlefield, who was a juvenile at the time, and brothers Timothy A. Giggey, 28, and Douglas Hersom, 27.

The suit claims the three men “willfully or negligently” started a fire that gutted the buildings less that a week before Christmas.

Because of their actions, the buildings’ owner “suffered significant monetary losses,” the suit said.

It seeks compensation for the losses, but doesn’t specify an amount.

All three men pleaded guilty to charges and were sentenced: Giggey, to eight years; Hersom, to 12 years and Littlefield, to juvenile drug court. They had been spotted running from the buildings around the time of the fire.

Hersom and Giggey, prosecuted in U.S. District Court, were ordered to pay $351,333.33 in restitution to the insurance company that paid $3.2 million to the buildings’ owners.

The fires destroyed four commercial buildings in the heart of Lewiston’s business district, one block from the 8th District Court building. Firefighters battled the blaze over several days, blocking the city’s main thoroughfare.

All of the buildings were eventually razed, leaving a gaping hole in the cityscape.

Giggey had cooperated with prosecutors, admitting his actions and taking responsibility during a court appearance before the judge. Hersom, by contrast, had deflected blame to Littlefield during a media interview following his arrest.

The federal judge who sentenced Hersom recited his lengthy criminal history, which added to the length of his sentence.

The trio had set out the night of Dec. 19 in search of scrap copper they could sell for cash with which to buy Christmas presents, Hersom’s attorney said.

They later set the fires out of boredom and stupidity, said lawyer David Beneman. Giggey said the fires were intended to conceal the attempted burglary.


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