3 charged with murder, arson, fraud in 2023 fire that killed Chicago firefighter Jermaine Pelt

Three men were charged with murder, arson and financial crimes tied to the 2023 death of Chicago firefighter Jermaine Pelt, authorities announced Friday morning.

Martez Cristler, 22, of Hammond, Indiana, and Nicholas Virgil, 37, of Riverdale, were charged with murder and aggravated arson, Chicago police said.

Anthony Moore, 47, of Blue Island, was charged with wire fraud, insurance fraud and forgery in connection with the murder, police said.

The three were scheduled to appear for detention hearings Friday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.

Pelt, 49, was part of the Chicago Fire Department crews that responded to a house fire in the 12000 block of South Wallace Street in the early hours of April 4, 2023. The blaze eventually spread to three buildings.

Pelt was dousing the fire with a hose from the second floor of a neighboring building when that structure also caught fire.

Pelt was working alongside a lieutenant when the two received an order to evacuate the building.

“His partner started to leave and thought [Pelt] was right behind him. When they realized that he went down, a mayday was called,” fire department spokesman Larry Langford said.

Pelt was found, brought out for treatment and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy found Pelt died of smoke inhalation.

Pelt’s death came in an especially tragic week for the Chicago Fire Department. A day later, Lt. Jan Tchoryk died battling an extra-alarm blaze in a high-rise building on the Near North Side.

“It is unprecedented to lose two firefighters in back-to-back days, in different circumstances, but each of them responding to a call to serve and responding to the aid of others,” then Mayor Lori Lightfoot said at the time.

Contributing: Mitch Dudek, Michael Loria