ST PAUL, Minn — Editor's note: The video above first aired on KARE 11 in March of 2020.
The owner of a St. Cloud bar pleaded guilty to arson Thursday, after investigators determined he was responsible for setting fire to his business in order to collect insurance money.
Andrew Charles Welsh, 42, was arrested in December 2020 with a federal grand jury indictment, alleging arson, use of fire to commit a federal felony and wire fraud, following the total destruction of his business, the Press Bar and Parlor in February of 2020.
According to court documents, Welsh started the fire in his basement office, using gasoline as an accelerant. The fire subsequently spread, resulting in the loss of the building. The original complaint said investigators found the pattern of the fire was consistent with the presence of an accelerant, while specially trained dogs and lab tests were able to back up their findings.
A statement from the District Attorney's Office in Minnesota said that about a week following the fire, Welsh submitted an insurance claim for over $1.4 million in damages as a result of the fire. The statement goes on to say Welsh fraudulently claimed the "said loss did not originate by any act, design or procurement on the part of your insured."
Additionally, investigators said a number of employees claimed that business at the Press was declining, eventually starting to reduce staff. The complaint further said documents in a second, unrelated case showed Welsh was struggling financially at the time.
A sentencing date has not yet been set.
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