Twenty-one months after a fire destroyed the legendary downtown Hereford House, a federal grand jury indicted Rodney J. Anderson, an owner of the restaurant, yesterday on arson and mail-fraud-conspiracy charges in an alleged $2.5 million scheme.
Authorities believe the men who set the blaze at 2 East 20th Street on October 20, 2008, are still at large.
is looking for this guy. Call 'em if you've seen him.
Anderson, 57, is accused of hiring people to burn down the restaurant.The ATF
He allegedly met with one of the co-conspirators on September 27, 2008,
giving the person a 50-minute tour of the building as well as a key and a
security alarm code.
On October 12, 2008, Anderson's alleged co-conspirators did a "walk-through" to prep for burning the building down.
On October 19, 2008, Anderson's co-conspirators returned to the downtown
restaurant to set the blaze.
After his restaurant burned, Anderson told The Kansas City Star that he didn't know who would want to torch his steakhouse. Within days of the blaze, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told reporters that the cause of the blaze was arson. They added that Anderson was no longer cooperating with the investigation and had lawyered up.
The indictment alleges that Anderson requested an advance payment of
$300,000 from his insurance provider, Travelers Property Casualty
Company of America. Travelers sent the check via overnight delivery. Anderson claimed a loss
of $962,593 on the building and $1,459,505 on behalf of B & C
Restaurant Corporation.
the business; Hereford K.C. Realty LLC, which owned the building; and
Skivers Corporation, which managed the Hereford House and other local
restaurants.
If you have information that might ID the people responsible for the fire, call the local ATF office at 816-559-0850, the ATF's toll free hotline at 888-283-3473 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for info leading to an arrest and
conviction of the co-conspirators.
Last year, Anderson filed for bankruptcy. And in November 2009, he opened the Prime Rib
Grill by Hereford House at 20th and Walnut.
Rodney Anderson photo via Central States Services.
like
dislike
