The owner of a $1.8M New York vacation rental escapes jail time after sisters die in a fire caused by substandard home work.
Jillian and Lindsay Wiener's deaths in the Hamptons on Long Island were admitted to by Peter Miller.
The Hamptons luxury homeowner who caused the Long Island, New York, house fire that killed two Maryland sisters will not be sent to jail after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors.
In August 2022, while on vacation with their terminally ill father at Peter Miller's $1.8 million Sag Harbor home, Jillian Wiener, 21, and her 19-year-old sister Lindsay were present when a fatal fire occurred, according to Suffolk County prosecutors.
Miller, 56, admitted to constructing an unlawful outdoor kitchen that exceeded the home's electrical capacity and neglecting to install functioning smoke detectors with backup batteries.
Prosecutors claimed that a wooden frame blocking the kitchen vents created a firetrap, trapping two women in an upstairs bedroom.
The New York Post reported that Jillian and Lindsay's father, Lewis, a 59-year-old federal prosecutor with pancreatic cancer, survived a house fire along with their 56-year-old mother Alisa and 23-year-old brother Zachary.
On Monday, Miller pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and will receive three years' probation and 200 hours of community service, while his wife, Pamela, who managed a $8,000-per-week summer rental, was sentenced to 100 hours of community service on a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment.
The district attorney's office spokesperson informed Greater Long Island that the couple will not be incarcerated as part of their plea agreement.
On Monday in court, Miller confessed to installing the unlawful wiring on the property without any safety inspections, according to the Daily Mail.
On Aug. 1, the family tried to use the rental's outdoor charcoal grill for dinner, but the food didn't cook. They then moved to the kitchen and went to bed around 11:30 p.m. after their meal.
At approximately 3:30 a.m., the parents of the women heard the sound of shattering glass and saw a fire raging in the house. They yelled for their children to evacuate the premises. Although the parents managed to escape on the ground floor, Zachary was trapped in his room. He climbed onto the roof and jumped from the second story, according to prosecutors.
Despite trying to save his daughters, Lewis was unable to enter the house due to the thick smoke and flames, leaving the surviving family "broken" and "haunted," according to the prosecutors.
Jillian, the older sister of Wiener, was an incoming senior at the University of Michigan, while Lindsay was a sophomore at Tulane University, prosecutors stated.
The Millers were charged with 29 code violations in Southhampton Town Court before their arrests on Aug. 22, including failing to obtain a rental permit, having a transient rental when prohibited by law, and installing an electrical outlet without a proper electrical box, authorities said.
The Millers' attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.
The couple is being sued for wrongful death by the Wiener family, according to the Post.
"Our hearts go out to the Wiener family, who lost these young women in this tragic fire. Such a loss is unimaginable, and our community mourns with them. We take all matters involving housing regulations very seriously, as they are crucial for public safety. If you have a rental home, you have a duty to make sure that it is safe."
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