Restaurant Owner Sentenced for Setting Fire to His Rhode Island Business

A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for setting fire to his restaurant to collect nearly $1 million in insurance.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Rhode Island says 51-year-old Daniel Saad, of Spencer, was sentenced Thursday on arson and wire fraud charges. Saad owned Snow’s Clam Box Restaurant and Pub in Glocester, Rhode Island.

Prosecutors say a woman lived in an apartment above the restaurant. She reported the fire on Nov. 30, 2014 after fleeing from the building.

They say Saad owed banks, private lenders and venders nearly $2.5 million. They say he set the fire and initiated insurance claims, while telling investigators he was in Massachusetts when the fire occurred.

Saad was ordered to serve one year supervised release and pay $509,000 in restitution.