Furniture store owner charged with perjury in connection to fatal warehouse fire

A furniture store owner has been charged with lying to investigators in connection with the Kensington warehouse fire that killed two firefighters.

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office has filed perjury and false reporting charges against Richard Knellinger, who owned a furniture store next to an abandoned warehouse that caught fire and collapsed onto his property on April 9.

Lt. Robert Neary and Firefighter Daniel Sweeney were trapped inside the furniture store during the collapse. Both Neary and Sweeney died as a result of injuries.

Knellinger was arrested by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is investigating the blaze. It is unclear what Knellinger lied about to investigators. The District Attorney’s office declined to comment on the charges.

Knellinger is the first person charged in the ongoing investigation. City officials have said Yeichiel and Michael Lichtenstein, owners of the warehouse, could possibly face criminal and civil charges, but none have been filed.