Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge.
A Newburgh man was found guilty of ordering a family member to burn down his popular Town of Newburgh restaurant so he could collect the insurance money. The family member proceeded to burn down the restaurant and then snitched on him. The greedy owner will be sentenced during Christmas week.
Zef Gjurashaj, age 60 of Newburgh, was convicted today of intentionally causing a destructive fire at the former Andiamo’s Restaurant on Route 9W in the Town of Newburgh. The popular Italian restaurant was located immediately north of the Alexis Diner. He was found guilty following a jury trial.
The fire drew a three-alarm response. The Cronomer Valley Fire Department was assisted by the Air National Guard, Coldenham, Good-Will, City of Newburgh, New Windsor, Orange Lake, Plattekill and Winona Lake Fire Departments.
Prior to the trial, his co-defendant, Marina Gjurashaj, age 38 of Yonkers, who is the wife of his nephew, also pled guilty to her role in burning down the hot spot. As part of her plea agreement, she ratted out the owner.
In September of 2017, Zef Gjurashaj, who operated the business, knew that his restaurant was in steep financial decline and decided to burn it down for insurance purposes, according to prosecutors. They argued in court that Zef instructed Marina how to start the fire and removed a plug from a propane line in the kitchen. This allowed for the free flow of propane into the room once the valve was turned.
A fire investigation revealed that on September 6, 2017, at the direction of Zef, Marina intentionally set fire to the building for the financial benefit of her uncle by spraying an ignitable liquid on the floor of the kitchen, opening the valve to the propane line, and lighting the liquid. The subsequent fire was of such intensity that in addition to destroying the building, it put the responding firefighters and Zef’s wife, who was present at the time of the fire, at grave risk of death.
In December of 2017, Zef allegedly presented his insurance company with a fraudulent Proof of Loss seeking payment for damage caused by the fire. He then reportedly submitted further fraudulent documents to his insurance company through 2018. On two separate occasions in 2018, Zef reportedly falsely testified under oath regarding observations of the fire scene.
The investigation also revealed that Zef under-reported his restaurant’s cash income in his New York State tax filings.
Zef Gjurashaj was found guilty of Arson in the 1st degree, Conspiracy in the 2nd degree, two counts of Reckless Endangerment in the 1st degree, Insurance Fraud in the 2nd degree, and Tax Fraud in the 5th degree. He faces a prison sentence of 25 years to life when he is sentenced on December 19, 2022.
Marina Gjurashaj pled guilty to Arson in the 3rd degree and Conspiracy in the 4th degree.
Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler acknowledged the efforts of the Cronomer Valley Fire Department for battling the inferno and helping with the investigation. Hoovler also thanked all local, state, and federal law enforcement officials who helped in the investigation, which was coordinated by the Town of Newburgh Police Department.
“Arson for profit is, by its nature, an incredibly challenging crime to prosecute because of the complexity of the evidence as well as because, as in this case, the perpetrator often intentionally attempts to destroy any link between themselves and the crime,” said Hoovler. “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.”
Hoovler continued, “The utter disregard for human life and property exhibited in this case is appalling. I thank all the myriad law enforcement agencies for their cooperation and ceaseless work on this case. Despite the defendant’s best efforts, not all the evidence of his crimes 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.”
Acting New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne Harris added, “Insurance fraud involving arson not only burdens consumers with higher insurance premiums but also endangers lives. Thanks to the excellent and diligent work by DFS investigators in coordination with fellow law enforcement partners, the perpetrators involved in this case have been apprehended.”
