Andrew Welsh Pleads Guilty To Burning Down St. Cloud's Press Bar In Insurance Money Scheme
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- A 42-year-old Minnesota man pleaded guilty in federal court to setting fire to his St. Cloud bar in a scheme to get more than $1 million in insurance money.
The U.S. Department of Justice District of Minnesota says that Andrew Charles Welsh pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of arson in connection to the Feb. 17, 2020, fire.
According to court documents, Welsh, the owner of the Press Bar and Parlor, used gasoline to start a fire in his office in the bar's basement. The flames engulfed the bar and destroyed an iconic part of St. Cloud's nightlife scene.
Days later, Welsh attempted to claim more than $1.4 million in insurance money for property damage and other losses. Later, Welsh admitted to investigators that he submitted a fraudulent insurance claim.
Welsh's sentencing date has yet to be set.