Spencer Man Accused of Setting Fires in Tompkins and Tioga Counties

Tioga County Sheriff’s officials say a Spencer man is accused of setting fire to a business in Spencer and a church in Ithaca.

32-year-old Aleksey Bushmich is accused of setting the fire at Walter’s Auto Repair Shop on Ithaca Road August 10 with additional charges pending in connection with an investigation into an arson at the Gospel Church of Ithaca on Danby Road a few hours after the report of the repair shop fire.

Tioga County Sheriff’s officials reported getting a 911 call about the structure fire on Ithaca Road at 7:27 p.m. and determined the fire appeared suspicious. During the investigation, it was found a similar fire was reported at the Gospel church in Ithaca at around 10 p.m. 

Bushmich is charged with felony counts of arson, burglary, criminal contempt and criminal mischief in Tioga County with additional charges in connection with the Ithaca church fire, which is being investigated by the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. 

Sheriff’s officials say during the course of the investigation, it was further found that Bushmich was involved in ongoing family offenses and criminal complaints throughout the Town of Spencer.  That discovery is resulting in two additional felony counts of grand larceny, four counts of criminal contempt, three counts of petit larceny and criminal mischief. 

Bushmich was sent to the Tioga County Jail on $25,000 bail.