PORTLAND, Maine - A Portland landlord has been indicted on six counts of manslaughter in connection with a fire that killed six young adults last November.
Gregory Nisbet was indicted on the manslaughter charges after talks for a potential plea deal broke down. He is also facing four criminal charges for code violations, Cumberland County District Attorney Stephanie Anderson says in a statement.
Nisbet owned the house at 20 Noyes Street where the fatal fire occurred in the early morning hours after a Halloween party. Investigators found the cause of the fire to be accidental, ignited by a cigarette discarded on a porch. They also found the house didn't have functioning smoke detectors.
Nisbet is accused of offering individual rooms for rent at the house without making required safety upgrades.
The tragedy led the city to form a task force to look at its safety codes, and other tenant/landlord issues.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.