CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Logan restaurant owner is named in a federal grand jury indictment for allegedly being part of a scheme to purchase a building in Logan and then having it burned down for the insurance money.
James Gregory Glick and three other men, Guy Miller, Shawn Simon and William Thompson are named in various counts of arson and mail fraud.
Federal prosecutors say the scheme involved purchasing a building at 111 Stratton Street in Logan, which was right across the street from the 317 Steakhouse that Glick owns, getting inflated insurance coverage on the building and then having it burned down to collect the money.
The indictment Glick agreed to pay Thompson, an independent insurance agent, $75,000 for an inflated insurance policy after the building was purchased for $45,000 in Dec. 2011. A $1 million policy was obtained and the building was burned down in Feb. 2012. Glick later collected just more than $1 million.
The indictment said several other people were involved in the conspiracy, some known to the grand jury and some unknown.
Glick’s 317 Steakhouse was closed by police Tuesday in connection with the investigation.
The defendants will appear before a federal magistrate judge in the near future.