Look back: Moravia man cleared on arson charges [The Citizen, Auburn, N.Y.]

Jan. 20—Jan. 20, 2024

The Moravia man accused of torching his bar and trying to fraudulently collect insurance money for part of the damages was found not guilty by a Cayuga County jury last night.

A seven-woman, five-man jury deliberated for several hours before returning not guilty verdicts on all the charges against Robert Simpson.

Simpson, 34, had been indicted more than a year ago on charges of third-degree arson, first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree insurance fraud. Those charges stem from the Dec. 23, 1991 fire that destroyed the Glenview Inn, which was located on Route 38, just south of the village of Moravia. Simpson was sole owner of the business.

Visibly relieved when the jury read the verdict, Simpson smiled, hugged his Syracuse attorneys, Emil Rossi and Michael Vavonese, and said to the jury, "Thank you all and God bless."

"I've been saying I'm innocent for over two years," Simpson said. "Now I can finally get on with my life."

Simpson had been accused of pouring flammable liquid in and around the building prior to the blaze, endangering the lives of firefighters and rescue personnel called to the scene, and attempting to collect insurance money for damages.

While the prosecution attempted to prove Simpson started the blaze with an accelerant, the defense argued the fire was started by faulty wiring and enhanced by household products and snowmobile oil that had been stored at the site.

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