Jeremy J. Neumann, 43, of Neenah, Wisconsin, was found guilty on January 12, 2017, in federal court in Green Bay, after a jury convicted him of torching the Anchorage Realty building in Oshkosh for a cold, calculated insurance payoff. The fire, set just before 10:00 p.m. on November 6, 2015, obliterated Neumann’s warehouse space and devastated multiple tenants, leveling the entire structure in a blaze fueled not by accident—but by greed.
Neumann, who operated a business called Gambit McDermott from the warehouse—dealing in returned retail merchandise—was convicted on four major counts: arson of a building in interstate commerce under 18 U.S.C. § 844(i); mail fraud under § 1341; arson in connection with another federal felony under § 844(h); and three separate counts of making false statements to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) under § 1001. The evidence was relentless: surveillance video captured Neumann inside the warehouse at the exact time the fire ignited, directly contradicting his claim to law enforcement that he wasn’t there.
The prosecution laid bare a scheme of deliberate deception. Just ten days before the fire, Neumann increased the value of his insurance policy—then filed a proof of loss claim immediately afterward, seeking maximum payout for destroyed inventory. Investigators proved he started the blaze inside his own rented space, where flammable materials accelerated the spread, trapping other businesses in the inferno. The building was a total loss, and so was Neumann’s credibility.
Law enforcement agencies peeled back his lies layer by layer. The ATF, Wisconsin Department of Justice- Division of Criminal Investigation- Arson Bureau, Oshkosh Police Department, Oshkosh Fire Department, and Winnebago County District Attorney’s Office collaborated to build an airtight case. Digital footage, financial records, and forensic analysis painted a picture of premeditation. Neumann didn’t just gamble on the fire—he rigged it.
Now, he’s staring down a mandatory 10-year prison term for arson in connection with another felony, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence. The underlying arson charge alone carries a 5-year mandatory minimum and up to 20 years. Each false statement count adds up to 5 years. Mail fraud brings additional time. Sentencing is scheduled for April 10, 2017, before Chief Federal Judge William C. Griesbach. Neumann remains locked up, awaiting his day in court.
Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William J. Roach and Zachary Corey, the case stands as a stark warning: when arson meets greed, federal time follows. The Anchorage Realty fire wasn’t an accident—it was a crime with receipts, video proof, and a paper trail that led straight to Jeremy J. Neumann.
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Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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