Restaurant Owner Sets Business On Fire For Insurance, Jury Says

NEWBURGH, NY — The owner of a failing restaurant was found guilty of setting fire to his business, endangering firefighters and his wife.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler said Monday that Zef Gjurashaj, 60, of Newburgh, was convicted by a jury in the Orange County Court of intentionally burning down Andiamo's Restaurant, which was located at 5025 Route 9W in the town of Newburgh, in September 2017.

The charges he was found guilty of included first-degree arson, second-degree conspiracy, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree insurance fraud and fifth-degree tax fraud.

Gjurashaj faces a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison on the arson conviction when he is sentenced Dec. 19, authorities said.

Prior to the trial, Hoovler said Gjurashaj's co-defendant, Marina Gjurashaj, 38, of Yonkers, who is the wife of his nephew, pleaded guilty to third-degree arson and fourth-degree conspiracy for her role in setting the fire. As part of her plea agreement, Marina Gjurashaj testified against Zef Gjurashaj.

Prosecutors said the pair conspired with each other to intentionally burn down Andiamo's.

Zef Gjurashaj, who was operating the restaurant in the fall of 2017, knew that the business was in a steep financial decline and decided to set fire to the business for the insurance.

He told Marina Gjurashaj how to start the fire and removed a plug from a propane line in the kitchen, which allowed for the free flow of propane into the room once the valve was turned.

The investigation found that on Sept. 6, 2017, at the direction of Zef Gjurashaj, Marina Gjurashaj intentionally set fire to the building by spraying a flammable liquid on the floor of the kitchen, opening the valve to the propane line and lighting the fluid.

Police said the subsequent fire was so intense that, in addition to decimating the building, it put the firefighters, as well as Zef Gjurashaj's wife, who was in the restaurant at the time of the fire, at grave risk of death.

After the fire, prosecutors said, Zef Gjurashaj filed a fraudulent proof of loss statement with his insurance company, seeking payment for damage caused by the fire. He also submitted other fraudulent documents to the insurance company through 2018.

On two occasions in 2018, he testified falsely during an examination under oath conducted by the insurance company regarding observations of the scene of the fire. The investigation also found that Zef Gjurashaj under-reported cash income from the restaurant as part of New York state tax filings.

Hoovler said that arson for profit is an incredibly challenging crime to prosecute because of the complexity of the evidence, along with the fact that the perpetrator often intentionally tries to destroy any link between themselves and the crime.

"This fire, which was set solely for the financial gain of the defendant, created an extremely dangerous situation for first responders who valiantly fought the fire," he said. "The utter disregard for human life and property exhibited in this case is appalling."

Hoovler said that, despite Zef Gjurashaj's best efforts, not all the evidence was destroyed in the restaurant he ordered burned down.

"A jury of his peers examined both forensic and financial evidence and returned a verdict that will hold him accountable for these heinous and dangerous acts," he said.