The former Utah Highway Patrol trooper charged with setting the Mile Marker 166 Fire in eastern Uintah County near Highway 40 on May 30th, 2017 has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court. Rex Richard Olsen is scheduled for sentencing on April 5th with U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball and faces up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 dollars. According to his Statement in Advance of a Plea of Guilty, Olsen admitted to setting a fire, that the underbrush or grass was located upon public domain and federal land, that he acted willfully and that he acted without authority. Olsen is also charged in 8th District Court with setting the Maeser Highway Fire in June. He pleaded guilty to a reduced arson charge in that case in November and is scheduled for sentencing in 8th District Court on February 20th.
