ASHEVILLE — An Asheville city firefighter has been fired following a department investigation into a January incident in which he is accused of deliberately setting fire to a former mayoral candidate's vehicle.

John Thomas Eldreth, a 45-year-old former lieutenant with the fire department, was dismissed for inappropriate personal conduct, off-duty conduct and for lying to investigators, according to an undated letter by Fire Chief Scott Burnette that was obtained by the Citizen Times. Eldreth was arrested March 15 for a January matter in which police say Eldreth set fire to a 2003 Toyota Celica at the home of its owner, East West Asheville neighborhood activist Jonathan Wainscott.

Eldreth is charged with burning personal property, a Class H felony that carries a penalty of up to about two years in prison. His attorney, Tony Rollman of Asheville, said May 6 that Eldreth "maintains his innocence" but declined to comment further.

Eldreth is due in court in June for a probable cause hearing.

In the dismissal letter, Burnette said investigators obtained a search warrant of Eldreth's Google history which showed he had conducted several searches for "how to make a Molotov cocktail" and Wainscott's address in the time preceding the Jan. 12 fire. The vehicle also had "LEAVE HER ALONE" scratched into the driver side door, an affidavit for a search warrant filed earlier this year shows.

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Burnette alleges Eldreth also was untruthful to him during a Jan. 31 pre-disciplinary conference, during which Burnette was informed Eldreth had spoken to an Asheville police detective and was a person of interest in a crime. Eldreth reportedly asked Burnette if he knew what crime he was suspected of committing.

"When I responded that I did not know, which was true, you told me that you also did not know," Burnette wrote. "Since then, however, the APD has shared with me that you were informed you were suspected in connection with a car burning prior to our conversation with me.

"As such, absent evidence to the contrary, I could only conclude that you were not truthful to me during our conversation."

Eldreth was promoted from engineer to lieutenant in 2012 and made about $62,300 annually as recently as July 2018, his public personnel file shows. He joined AFD as a trainee in 1996. On Jan. 31, he was placed on investigative suspension.

Eldreth was terminated March 25, a city spokesperson said. His file, obtained May 7 by the Citizen Times, does not yet reflect his dismissal.

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In a March 22 affidavit for a search warrant, Asheville detective Christopher Dennis said Eldreth had a Jan. 11 conversation with Wainscott's neighbor at Burger Bar in East West Asheville. The neighbor told Eldreth about a longtime dispute she'd had with Wainscott, a notable local activist and past City Council candidate who last ran for mayor in 2017 against incumbent Esther Manheimer.

Dennis said Eldreth told the neighbor he's a believer in "vigilante justice," that he does not like "bullies" and that "things can happen to people and no one would find out."

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A Burger Bar bartender told Dennis that Eldreth returned to the establishment Jan. 14 and asked if the person had heard anything about Wainscott. He then is believed to have repeatedly told the bartender to tell Wainscott's neighbor "she doesn't have to worry about him anymore" before walking away.

Eldreth was banned from Burger Bar Jan. 18 for "his behavior and making female customers feel uncomfortable," the bartender told Dennis.

Dennis also detailed parts of a conversation with a woman who said Eldreth came to her residence "highly intoxicated" Jan. 13 and admitted burning the vehicle.

Ultimately, Burnette wrote that he factored Eldreth's years of service and his job performance in addition to information offered by him during the pre-disciplinary conference in the decision. He rendered Eldreth's misconduct is "wholly incompatible with employment by the city or the Asheville Fire Department."