The owner of a popular Hudson Valley restaurant and a member of his family were arrested after a fire destroyed the place.
On Wednesday, Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Zef Gjurashaj, 59, of Newburgh, and his nephew’s wife, Marina Gjurashaj, 37, of Yonkers, were charged. By the Orange County Grand Jury and charged with crimes including arson in the first degree, conspiracy, insurance fraud, tax fraud and more.
“Arson in the first degree is one of the least charged crimes in this state due to the complexity of the evidence and other legal issues and I commend all law enforcement agencies for their tireless work on this case.” Hoovler. “The utter disregard for human life and property on display in this case is appalling. The selfish actions of the defendants in this case were allegedly motivated by sheer greed. However, the hard work put in by law enforcement professionals during the course of this investigation has brought to light the crimes these defendants hoped would disappear in the flames they sparked. “
The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired with each other to intentionally burn down Andiamo’s restaurant, which was located at 5025 Route 9W, in the city of Newburgh, Orange County, New York in September 2017.
It is alleged that Zef Gjurashaj, who operated the restaurant business in the fall of 2017, knew the business was in steep financial decline and decided to burn the business for insurance purposes.
About three weeks before the fire, Zef Gjurashaj hired his niece, Marina Gjurashaj, to work at Andiamo’s restaurant. The fire investigation revealed that on September 6, 2017, Marina Gjurashaj intentionally set the building on fire for the financial benefit of her uncle, authorities said.
After the fire, in December 2017, Zef Gjurashaj allegedly submitted proof of fraudulent loss to his insurance company seeking payment for damages caused by the fire and submitted more fraudulent documents to the insurance company until 2018. He Restaurant was later demolished due to damage. .
The fire completely destroyed the Andiamo restaurant, which was located next to the Alexis Diner.
“There were fire trucks everywhere. And I mean the concern was smoke coming into the restaurant. So we tried to fix it,” Alexis Diner owner Spyros Varnavides told ABC.
It is alleged that on two occasions in 2018, Zef Gjurashaj falsely testified during an Examination Under Oath (EUO) conducted by the insurance company regarding observations of the fire site.
“Insurance fraud involving arson not only burdens consumers with higher insurance premiums, it also puts their lives at risk,” said New York State Department of Financial Services Acting Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris.
Both were sent without bond to the Orange County Jail, where they remain. Both face 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the main arson charge.
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