Brian Whitton, Arson and Mail Fraud, Wisconsin 2020

A Waukesha bar owner has been found guilty of a string of serious crimes, including arson and mail fraud.

Brian Whitton, the owner of The Stage Off Main bar in Waukesha, Wisconsin, was convicted of intentionally setting fire to his business on March 25, 2017. The fire not only destroyed the bar but also endangered the lives of the public and first responders.

Whitton was also found guilty of executing a mail fraud scheme by submitting a fraudulent proof of loss claim to his insurance carrier, United States Liability Insurance Company, LLC. He falsely claimed that the fire was the result of an accident, not his intentional actions.

The jury also convicted Whitton of lying to an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) during the investigation.

The conviction is a result of a lengthy investigation conducted by ATF, the Waukesha Police Department, and the Waukesha Fire Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly B. Watzka and Timothy W. Funnell.

Whitton is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2020. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years' imprisonment for the arson conviction, to be followed by a consecutive, mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment for the use of fire to commit another felony conviction.

He also faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release for the mail fraud conviction. Additionally, Whitton faces up to 5 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release for the false statement conviction.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr/waukesha-bar-owner-found-guilty-arson-commercial-building-and-related-charges