Two plead guilty to arson charges in Cairo

CAIRO, Ill. -- Two men pleaded guilty to arson charges Wednesday morning in association with fires in Cairo, officials said. Richard Pitcher, 19, and David Patrick, 24, each pleaded guilty to two charges of arson, in association with fires on 33rd Street in Cairo and others near the Mississippi River levee in January 2011. Patrick is scheduled to be sentenced June 13, and Pitcher on June 20, said Jeffrey Farris, Alexander County state's attorney. The men each face up to seven years in prison, Farris said.