Andiamo owner, niece are convicted

A 60-year-old Newburgh man on Monday was convicted of burning down his Newburgh restaurant five years ago and covering it up, Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler's office said.

Zef Gjurashaj was found guilty after trial in Orange County Court of all counts the jury considered, which included first-degree arson, second-degree conspiracy, two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree insurance fraud.

At the trial, according to the District Attorney's Office, prosecutors argued Gjurashaj conspired with the wife of his nephew, 38-year-old Marina Gjurashaj, of Yonkers, to intentionally burn down Andiamo Restaurant at 5025 Route 9W, in September 2017.

Marina Gjurashaj had been indicted on first-degree arson and second-degree conspiracy charges with Zef Gjurashaj but testified against him, according to a release from Hoovler's office. She pleaded guilty to third-degree arson and fourth-degree conspiracy charges.

Zef Gjurashaj's sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19.

After the fire, Zef Gjurashaj said he felt "heartbreak" and committed to rebuild. He said the restaurant "means a lot because whatever we have in our life we have from this place."

Hoovler's office said Zef Gjurashaj knew the business was in a steep financial decline and decided to burn down the restaurant for insurance purposes.

Zef Gjurashaj instructed Marina how to start the fire and removed a plug from a propane line in the kitchen, which allowed for the flow of propane into the room once the valve was turned, according to the District Attorney's Office. The investigation found that on Sept. 6, 2017, at Zef Gjurashaj's direction, Marina Gjurashaj set fire to the building by spraying an ignitable liquid on the kitchen floor, opening the valve to the propane line and lighting the liquid.

Then, according to Hoovler's office:

Starting in December 2017, Zef Gjurashaj presented to his insurance company a fraudulent proof of loss seeking payment for damage caused by the fire.

In support of the fraudulent proof of loss, he submitted fraudulent documents to the insurance company through 2018.

Twice in 2018, Zef Gjurashaj testified falsely during an examination under oath conducted by the insurance company regarding observations of the scene of the fire.

The investigation also revealed that Zef Gjurashaj underreported cash income from the restaurant as part of state tax filings, according to the release.