MONROE, OH – A Liberty Township woman is headed to federal prison after admitting she plotted to torch a rival nail salon in Monroe, Ohio. Kim Lien Vue, 46, was sentenced to 46 months behind bars on April 24, following a guilty plea entered in September 2023 to one count of conspiracy to commit malicious destruction by means of fire.
The scheme, born out of professional jealousy, began in December 2022 when Vue allegedly approached an employee with the idea of exacting revenge on the competing salon. Vue, owner of her own nail business, and her co-conspirator, Cierra Marie Bishop, 30, of Hamilton, Ohio, escalated the plan to arson, with Bishop taking the lead on constructing a remotely-controlled incendiary device – a small box rigged to start a fire.
Federal investigators say the pair obsessively communicated about the plot, codenaming it “Job 1.” On February 5th, Bishop and another accomplice, Makahla Ann Rennick, 19, of Hamilton, Ohio, entered the target salon. Rennick secured a pedicure appointment under the alias “Katelynn,” instructed by Vue to “Just use another name. Sound white.” While Rennick received services, Bishop scouted the salon for a place to plant the device. Surveillance footage captured Bishop slipping into the restroom area and concealing the device under a desk.
The plot nearly succeeded. A sharp-eyed employee discovered the suspicious package, which reeked of gasoline, and cautiously moved it outside near the salon’s dumpster. Shortly after, the device ignited, triggering a small dumpster fire. Monroe police and fire crews responded to the scene, quickly containing the blaze. Throughout the entire operation, Vu remained in constant communication with Bishop, and was reportedly traveling to Virginia to establish an alibi.
The three women – Vue, Bishop, and Rennick – were indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2023. Bishop has already pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. The case was jointly investigated by the FBI, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Monroe Police Department. U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio praised the collaborative effort, stating that the sentence should serve as a warning that such acts of violence will not be tolerated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Mangan prosecuted the case. The ATF, led by Special Agent in Charge Daryl S. McCormick, played a crucial role in unraveling the technical aspects of the homemade incendiary device. This case highlights the lengths to which individuals will go in the pursuit of petty grievances, and the serious federal consequences that await them. The investigation continues to assess whether there were other potential targets of this group.
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