Nail Salon Owner Arrested on Multiple Arson and Insurance Fraud Charges

A Town of Newburgh salon owner was arrested this month on multiple charges—including third-degree arson, second-degree insurance fraud, attempted grand larceny, criminal mischief, and falsifying business records—stemming from an August 16, 2022 blaze at her shop in the Newburgh Mall. Witnesses reported water from the salon’s sprinkler system shortly after the fire, which caused extensive water and fire damage throughout the retail center.

An interagency investigation by the Town of Newburgh Fire Investigation Unit, local police, the New York State Department of Financial Services Fraud Bureau, and the ATF’s Hudson Valley Arson and Explosives Task Force concluded the fire was intentionally set. Court documents indicate the owner, who held sole access to the premises, filed insurance claims immediately afterward despite owing more than $100,000 in back rent and carrying substantial credit-card and small-business loan debt.

Federal and local officials emphasized that deliberate fires endanger both first responders and the public, and undermine insurance integrity. Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler praised the collaborative effort that reconstructs evidence even when it’s meant to be destroyed. The defendant was arraigned, released on her own recognizance, and is due back in Town of Newburgh Court on June 23, with prosecution led by Executive Assistant DA Ryan Greenbaum and ADA Amanda M. Bettinelli.