A 53-year-old Staten Island man has been arrested and charged after surveillance footage allegedly showed him slipping into a Hurleyville home overnight and setting fire to vintage cars and a utility terrain vehicle stored inside the garage. Steven Greco now faces third-degree arson and second-degree burglary charges tied to a fire that Fallsburg Police say broke out at the residence on March 12, 2025, more than a year before his arrest last week.
Fallsburg Police responded to the Hurleyville home on March 12, 2025, after flames damaged several vintage cars, a utility terrain vehicle, and the interior of the garage, according to Daily Voice. Authorities found evidence at the scene indicating the fire may have been intentionally set, police said. The initial response drew a joint effort between the Town of Fallsburg Police Department, the Hurleyville Fire Department, and Sullivan County Fire Investigators, as reported by The River Reporter.
A 17-Month Investigation Ends in Arrest
Fallsburg detectives spent more than 17 months piecing together the case before identifying Greco as the suspect, a timeline the same Daily Voice report attributes to the department's analysis of residential surveillance footage tracing the perpetrator who entered the property overnight. Police announced Greco's arrest on August 25, following the fire at the Hurleyville residence. He was charged with third-degree arson and second-degree burglary, both felonies under New York law.
Hurleyville is an unincorporated hamlet within the Town of Fallsburg in rural Sullivan County, situated roughly 90 to 100 miles northwest of Staten Island, where Greco lives, according to the New York Gazetteer. The hamlet had an estimated population of 1,061 as of the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, and its roughly 491 housing units include a mix of year-round residents and seasonal retreat properties, with vacant or seasonal housing making up about 12.2% of local residences, the Gazetteer notes. What drew Greco to the property, and whether he had any prior relationship with its owner, remains unclear.
Released Without Bail Despite Two Felony Counts
Greco was arraigned in Fallsburg Justice Court before Judge Scheinman and released on his own recognizance, meaning no monetary bail was set. That outcome traces directly to New York's bail reform statutes: third-degree arson is a non-qualifying charge for cash bail, and second-degree burglary is only bail-eligible when it involves the living quarters of a dwelling rather than a detached structure like a garage, per the New York State Senate. Initial arraignments for Town of Fallsburg criminal cases are handled locally before felony matters move on to Sullivan County Court, according to Mid-Hudson News.
What Greco Could Face If Convicted
Under New York Penal Law, third-degree arson is a Class C non-violent felony covering the intentional damaging of a building or motor vehicle by fire, carrying a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in state prison, according to the Law Office of Matthew Galluzzo. Second-degree burglary is classified as a Class C violent felony that carries a mandatory minimum of 3.5 years and a maximum of up to 15 years in state prison upon conviction, per Saland Law. Greco is scheduled to return to court at a later date.
In Sullivan County, the Bureau of Fire and specialized county fire investigators are routinely dispatched alongside local volunteer departments to determine the cause and origin of suspicious fires, with volunteer crews handling suppression while investigators evaluate potential criminal activity, The River Reporter notes. As is standard in police announcements, officials emphasized that the charges against Greco are accusations only, and he retains the legal presumption of innocence unless proven guilty in court. The estimated value of the damaged vintage cars and UTV has not been disclosed.
