R.I. Pub Owner Fights Allegations He Set Fire to His Business

A Massachusetts man has pleaded not guilty to charges that he set his Rhode Island restaurant on fire to collect the insurance money.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Providence says 50-year-old Daniel Saad, of Spencer, Massachusetts, set fire to Snow’s Clam Box Restaurant and Pub in Glocester, Rhode Island, in November 2014. Prosecutors say Saad was facing significant debt at the time of the fire.

Saad was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 29 and faces arson and wire fraud charges.

His lawyer, William Dimitri, says Saad denies any involvement and has every intention of fighting the charges. He pleaded not guilty on March 31.