The man accused of causing a gas explosion that severely injured two men in Farmington was sentenced Friday.
Jonathan Reiher, 28, Shawano, pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment and one count of battery.
Judge Vicki Clussman sentenced Reiher to four years of confinement and four years of extended supervision on each count of endangerment.
She ordered that the prison terms be served consecutively for a total of eight years.
Reiher was accused of damaging the propane gas furnace in the Farmington home by breaking off the pipe to its regulator and causing the gas leak that led to the explosion on July 22, 2016.
The home belonged to Reiher’s ex-girlfriend, who had obtained a court order to evict Reiher on June 9. She earlier moved out of her home on Erickson Road in Farmington and into a home in Waupaca.
Prior to his vacating the house, Reiher destroyed the kitchen cabinets and appliances with an electric saw, tore the toilet out of the floor, ripped the bathroom sink and mirror from the wall, knocked holes in the drywall and damaged the doors throughout the house.
On Friday, July 22, two men and two women were in the Farmington home, repairing the extensive damage. They had been working there for several weeks.
Shortly before 12:30 p.m. that day, the workers decided to cook some brats for lunch. When they turned on the stove, they smelled gas.
After turning off the stove, the two men went into the basement to find the source of the leak. They were in the basement when the explosion occurred.
Authorities reported the two men were so seriously burned that the skin was hanging off their arms. They both underwent multiple surgeries.
Deputy State Fire Marshal Kevin Heimerl reported evidence that the furnace was damaged prior to the blast.
He found that the pipe coming into the furnace’s gas regulator had been completely broken off and the fan had been damaged by blunt force, apparently with a hammer or a heavy tool.
The furnace was installed two years prior to the explosion.
Reiher’s ex-girlfriend told investigators the propane tank had been completely emptied in May.
Prior to the explosion, offices responded to several domestic violence complaints against Reiher.
His ex-girlfriend told investigators that during one argument, Reiher choked her, punched her and pushed her to the floor. While she was on the floor, Reiher allegedly tried to drag her out of the house.