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Kevin Grant, Arson & Fraud, Woodville WI, 2018
WOODVILLE, WI – Kevin Grant, 71, of St. Croix County, is facing 18 years – 216 months – in state prison after a jury found him guilty of torching his own restaurant, the Cubby Hole, back in December 2018. The sentencing comes after an eight-day trial that peeled back a cynical scheme to collect over half a million dollars in insurance money.
On December 29, 2018, the Unified Fire Department responded to a blaze at the Cubby Hole bar and restaurant. Firefighters immediately detected the telltale stench of gasoline, prompting a call to the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigations State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The investigation quickly determined the fire wasn’t accidental; it was deliberately set. Grant was charged with arson of a building with intent to defraud, second degree recklessly endangering safety, unsafe burning of own building, and fraudulent insurances claim greater than $2,500.
ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeff Reed minced no words, stating, “Arson is an inherently dangerous crime… Anyone in or around the building could have been injured, and the firefighters who responded to the scene certainly were put in harm’s way.” The evidence presented at trial painted a clear picture: Grant used an accelerant to ignite his business, all as part of a calculated attempt to cash in on an insurance payout. He then hired a public insurance adjuster to facilitate the claim, ultimately receiving over $500,000 for property damage and other losses.
The key to cracking the case, according to St. Croix County District Attorney Karl Anderson, was the damning self-incriminating video Grant himself created. Days before the fire, Grant filmed the Cubby Hole, ostensibly for insurance purposes. But the footage showed him staging the building, moving incendiary materials to the point of origin, and even documenting a space heater – the same heater later discovered under the floorboards where the fire began. Investigators also uncovered a trail of gasoline leading from the fire’s origin to a pile of plastic tables Grant had strategically placed.
Grant took the stand in his own defense, but his testimony quickly unraveled under cross-examination, riddled with inconsistencies. Anderson described the defendant’s explanations as “bizarre,” noting Grant had unsuccessfully tried to sell the vacant bar for years. The video, coupled with the physical evidence, proved too much for the jury to ignore. They delivered a guilty verdict in less than three hours of deliberation.
This wasn’t just a case of a struggling business owner looking for a quick buck. It was a cold calculation that put lives at risk and burdened the system with a costly investigation. Kevin Grant will now have plenty of time to reflect on his choices from behind bars. The ATF and the St. Croix District Attorney’s Office have sent a clear message: arson and fraud will not be tolerated.
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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