Two men plead guilty in Logan arson scheme

Two men charged in connection with a Logan arson scheme entered guilty pleas.

According to a release from U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin’s Office, James Gregory Glick and co-defendant Guy Miller both pleaded guilty to arson and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

Glick, 44, of Logan, also pleaded guilty to conducting unlawful monetary transactions, and structuring currency transactions in connection with the scheme.

The release said that Glick arranged to have an office building located across the street from his restaurant , “317 Steakhouse”, in Logan burned down in November 2011 so he could collect more than $1 million in insurance proceeds.

Glick purchased the building on Stratton Street in early January 2012 from a known individual for around $50,000. He then paid William Jamey Thompson, 44, an independent insurance agent from Chapmanville, approximately $50,000 to obtain a fraudulently-inflated $1 million insurance policy from General Star Indemnity Company, according to the release.

Then on the night of February 1, 2012, Glick had Miller, Shawn Simon, 41, of Charleston and another associate set the building on fire by spreading gasoline throughout the main floor, the release stated.

In addition, Glick made illegal transactions of more than $10,000 from the Logan Bank & Trust on more than nine occasions and also structured more than $170,000 in monies from accounts at LB&T during the conspiracy.

Glick faces a minimum of seven years in prison when he is sentenced on February 19, 2014. Miller, 39, will be sentenced on February 19, 2014, and faces a minimum of seven years in prison.