WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2026 10:15 A.M.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) — A 39-year-old Green Bay man accused of setting a fire at an Ashwaubenon motel in 2024 was back in court on Monday.
Court records show that John Bartelt Jr. was in court via Zoom while remaining in custody. An attorney also appeared in court for the 39-year-old.
While in court for the rescheduled plea hearing, a Pre-Sentence Investigation was ordered and the present bond was continued.
Bartelt Jr. is scheduled to be back in court for a sentencing hearing on June 8, at 1:30 p.m.
UPDATE: Plea hearing rescheduled for Green Bay man charged in Ashwaubenon motel arson
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2026, 10:30 A.M.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) — A 39-year-old Green Bay man accused of setting a fire at an Ashwaubenon motel in 2024 had his plea hearing rescheduled.
Court records show John Bartelt Jr.’s plea hearing is now set for March 23, 2026.
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Bartelt Jr. is charged with one count of arson and five counts of recklessly endangering safety in connection with the alleged April 2024 incident. He appeared with his attorney, Michael Balskus, and a decision on his plea is expected at the rescheduled hearing.
Local 5 News will continue to follow the case as it moves through the court system.
UPDATE: Green Bay man accused in Ashwaubenon motel arson back in court
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2025, 1:25 P.M.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The 39-year-old Green Bay man accused of arson and first-degree reckless endangerment at an Ashwaubenon motel in April 2024 was in court for what was set to be a plea hearing on Monday.
Court records show that John Bartelt Jr. was in Brown County court via Zoom while in custody, with his $500,000 present bond continued. An attorney was present with Bartelt Jr.
The hearing was designated originally as a plea hearing; however, it was recorded as a status conference.
Bartelt’s newest plea hearing is scheduled for February 2, 2026, at 2:15 p.m.
UPDATE: Green Bay man accused in Ashwaubenon motel arson appears in court
TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2025, 3:56 P.M.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – A Green Bay man accused of arson at an Ashwaubenon motel and multiple counts of first-degree reckless endangerment appeared in court Aug. 7 for a status conference.
Court records show 39-year-old John Bartelt Jr. was in Brown County court, and his current bond was continued.
Bartelt’s plea hearing is scheduled for Nov. 10, 2025, at 1:45 p.m.
Local 5 News will continue to follow the case and provide updates as it progresses through the court system.
UPDATE: Green Bay man charged with arson at motel pleads not guilty, additional hearing set
FRIDAY, 5/23/2025, 1:49 p.m
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The Green Bay man accused of arson without consent at an Ashwaubenon motel and multiple counts of first-degree reckless endangerment had his arraignment hearing on Thursday.
Court records show that 38-year-old John Bartelt was in court via Zoom while in custody, as the present bond of $500,000 was continued. Bartelt entered a not guilty plea during the hearing.
A new plea hearing was set for August 7 at 9:30 a.m.
UPDATE: Green Bay man charged with arson has arraignment date set, not present in status conference
TUESDAY, 04/1/2025, 8:14 p.m.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – A man from Green Bay facing arson without consent and several reckless endangerment charges was not in court for a status conference on Monday.
Court records show that 38-year-old John Bartelt had a new arraignment hearing set for May 22 and 9 a.m., as he did not appear in court; however, his attorney was present. The $500,000 bond was continued.
The charges stem from a motel fire in Ashwaubenon.
UPDATE: Green Bay man charged with arson waives preliminary hearing, arraignment date set
FRIDAY, 02/14/2025, 8:38 a.m.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – A man from Green Bay who faces arson charges stemming from a motel fire in Ashwaubenon has waived his preliminary hearing and is scheduled for an arraignment.
Court records show that 38-year-old John Bartelt appeared in court on Thursday and during the hearing waived his rights to a preliminary hearing and filed a waiver form with the court. The court accepted the waiver.
Bartelt’s bond of $500,000 was continued and an arraignment was scheduled for March 31 at 11 a.m.
UPDATE: Green Bay man charged with arson gets preliminary hearing date set
THURSDAY, 01/30/2025, 11:33 a.m.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The Green Bay man who faces arson charges stemming from a motel fire in Ashwaubenon gets a date set for his preliminary hearing.
Court records show that 38-year-old John Bartelt will have a preliminary hearing on February 13 at 9:30 a.m.
Bartelt is charged with arson and five counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety stemming from an incident on April 5, 2024, where he allegedly started a fire in an Ashawubenon motel.
UPDATE: Green Bay man charged with arson returns to court for indigence hearing
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2024, 8:45 P.M.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – John Bartelt, a 38-year-old Green Bay man facing arson charges related to a motel fire in Ashwaubenon, appeared for an indigence hearing on Oct. 31.
Court records indicate that Bartelt’s bond remains unchanged following his appearance in front of Judge Marc Hammer at the Brown County Courthouse.
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Bartelt is scheduled to return to court for a status conference on December 26, 2024, at 9:15 p.m.
No further details have been released.
UPDATE: Green Bay man charged with arson has indigency hearing scheduled
WEDNESDAY, 10/9/2024, 2:03 p.m.
(WFRV) – A Green Bay man facing arson charges made an appearance by video for a status conference on Tuesday morning.
Court records show that 38-year-old John Bartelt was in custody while in court by video. The present bond was continued.
A status conference, described as an indigency hearing was set for Oct. 31 at 9:15 a.m. for Bartelt.
UPDATE: Green Bay man charged with arson has another status conference scheduled
FRIDAY, 8/9/2024, 2:54 p.m.
(WFRV) – The Green Bay man charged with arson was scheduled to be back in court on August 9 and now has another status conference scheduled.
According to court records, 38-year-old John Bartelt was scheduled to be back in court on August 9 for a status conference. However, he was not in court, but in custody.
Present bond was continued and a status conference was scheduled for October 8.
Bartelt is charged with arson as well as five counts of recklessly endangering safety.
UPDATE: Green Bay man charged with arson has new status conference date scheduled
WEDNESDAY, 6/26/2024, 12:06 p.m.
(WFRV) – The man from Green Bay who is facing multiple charges related to an alleged arson incident had an update to his case.
According to court records, 37-year-old John Bartelt had a status conference on June 21 and present was continued. He is due back in court on August 9 for another status conference.
Bartelt is facing multiple charges in relation to an alleged arson incident at an Ashwaubenon motel.
No additional information was provided.
UPDATE: Green Bay man charged with arson waives time limits for preliminary hearing
FRIDAY, 04/26/2024, 6:20 p.m.
(WFRV) – A 37-year-old Green Bay man charged with arson and five counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety following a fire at a motel in Ashwaubenon was back in court on Thursday for a status conference.
Court records show that John Bartelt, 37, was back in the Brown County Courthouse, where he and an attorney waived the time limits for a preliminary hearing.
Bartelt will be back in court on June 21 for another status conference.
Green Bay man charged with arson following fire at Ashwaubenon motel, cash bond set at $500k
THURSDAY, 04/18/2024, 4:18 p.m.
(WFRV) – A man from Green Bay was officially charged with arson and five counts of 1st-degree recklessly endangering safety following a fire at a motel in Ashwaubenon.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Local 5, 37-year-old John Bartelt is facing multiple charges after allegedly starting a fire in a motel in Ashwaubenon. On April 5 around 9:50 p.m., authorities were sent to a motel for a report of a man that cut his hand and was bleeding.
When officers got to the scene, they reportedly went to a room where the caller said he was bleeding. The man was later identified as Bartelt.
Police reportedly asked him to open the door, but Bartelt did not want the door to be opened. The complaint says that he told authorities there was glass, and he wanted band-aids slipped under the door.
Eventually, police started to walk back to their cars when a person was waving their arms out of a window. The officers reportedly saw a flame that was about four feet high coming from a room.
Authorities were unable to get into the room where Bartlet was, and a police battering ram was later requested. The complaint says that officers were able to make entry around 10:20 p.m.
The fire was later knocked down as crews started to spray water in the room. Dispatch reportedly told those on the scene that the suspect, Bartlet, had been incarcerated for the last 21 years and hoped to get into a shootout with officers. This information reportedly was noted from a recent call.
Later, officers saw a man in the window where fire crews were working, and he had his hands in the air. Bartlet was taken into custody. He reportedly claimed that he kicked a candle over and started the fire.
The complaint says that a member of the Brown County Arson Task Force investigated the scene, and said there was ‘overwhelming’ evidence that this was not a fire by accident.
There were reportedly over 50 guests at the motel, and Bartlet was the only one inside that room. The room was reportedly registered to him.
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The fire reportedly caused a ‘considerable’ amount of damage in the room. The entire second floor of the motel reportedly remained closed for several days.
Bartelt is charged with:
- Arson of Building, Repeater
- Felony
- Up to 40 years in prison (Can be increased by six years due to repeater)
- First Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, Repeater
- Felony
- Up to 12 and a half years in prison (Can be increased by six years due to repeater)
- First Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, Repeater
- Felony
- Up to 12 and a half years in prison (Can be increased by six years due to repeater)
- First Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, Repeater
- Felony
- Up to 12 and a half years in prison (Can be increased by six years due to repeater)
- First Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, Repeater
- Felony
- Up to 12 and a half years in prison (Can be increased by six years due to repeater)
- First Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, Repeater
- Felony
- Up to 12 and a half years in prison (Can be increased by six years due to repeater)
Court records show that Bartelt was in court on April 17 for his initial appearance. He had a cash bond set at $500,000. He is due back in court on April 25 for a preliminary hearing.
No additional information was provided.
