Plea Deal For Man Who Set Fire To His Building To Collect Insurance

PORT JERVIS, NY — A man who admitted to setting his own building on fire to scam his insurer, and then went on the lam, will finally face consequences for his actions.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that 53-year-old Hui Zhang, of Middletown, pled guilty last week to third degree arson and second degree bail jumping. Under the plea agreement, it will be recommended that he be sentenced to two to six years in prison on the arson charge and one to three years in prison on the bail jumping charge, with the sentences to be served consecutively. Zhang is scheduled for sentencing on February 10.

According to court documents, on September 30, 2021, around 3:30 a.m., a structure fire took place at a building with a detached garage in the City of Port Jervis. Further investigation indicated that there were at least three points of origin of the fire and that the fire was intentionally set.

Zhang, who owned the building which was under renovation at the time of the fire, admitted to police that he had insurance policies on the building and had intentionally lit the fire. After being charged in 2021, he failed to appear in Port Jervis City Court and a warrant was issued. Zhang was later found in New Jersey and returned to authorities in Orange County through a Governor’s Warrant. At the plea proceedings, he admitted to intentionally damaging the building by starting a fire and also to failing to appear in court after having been previously released.

The district attorney thanked the City of Port Jervis Police Department and the Orange County Fire Investigation Unit whose investigation led to the arrest of Zhang.

"Arson is an inherently dangerous crime, which poses grave risks to people and property," Hoovler said. "Thankfully, this defendant’s greedy actions did not result in any injuries. The careful investigation conducted by law enforcement ensured that this offender not only would be held accountable for his crimes, but would be returned to the jurisdiction to face justice."