Andrew Webster Sentenced in Historic Diner Fire Scheme

A South Jersey couple has been sentenced for conspiring to burn down a historic diner they owned in Bridgeton, New Jersey, in a desperate bid to cash in on insurance payouts. Andrew Webster, 50, of Cedarville, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison. His wife, Brenda Webster, 46, also of Cedarville, received three years of probation, including six months of home confinement with electronic monitoring.

The pair pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit arson, admitted to plotting the destruction of Angie’s Bridgeton Grill, a nearly 75-year-old diner listed on both the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places. The fire, set in the early hours of October 24, 2012, obliterated the landmark eatery after months of financial struggle under their operation.

Court documents reveal the Websters drove to the diner in Andrew’s truck on October 23, 2012. They gathered combustible materials — newspapers, paper menus, and other flammable items — doused them with gasoline, and ignited the blaze with an open flame. The fire erupted violently; Brenda Webster suffered burns when gasoline vapors flashed inside the building, forcing both to flee moments before total destruction.

U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced the sentences handed down today by U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court. In addition to prison time, Andrew Webster will serve three years of supervised release. Both defendants are jointly responsible for $36,704.49 in restitution.

The ATF, under Special Agent in Charge George P. Belsky, led the investigation alongside the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office and the Bridgeton Police Department. Investigators pieced together forensic evidence, witness statements, and financial records to expose the scheme, proving the fire was no accident but a calculated act of arson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Smith prosecuted the case. Andrew Webster was represented by Richard Coughlin, Assistant Federal Public Defender. Brenda Webster was defended by Joseph Hoffman III of Turnersville, New Jersey. The diner, once a community staple, now exists only in memory — torched by the very people who claimed to run it.