Baroud
GOSHEN – The owner of USA Waffles, a waffle and bagel shop he opened
on February 28, 2016 and set fire to just two weeks later, pled guilty
in Orange County Court on Tuesday to attempted arson and insurance fraud.
Khaled Baroud, 61, of New Windsor, admitted to torching the shop he was
renting in order to collect over $50,000 in insurance proceeds.
Baroud, who initially denied setting the fire, was arrested on Monday
after a yearlong investigation.
He is scheduled to be sentenced next month by Judge Robert Freehill and
the district attorney’s office indicated it would seek a prison
sentence.
Agencies involved in the investigation were Newburgh Town Police, Newburgh
Fire Investigation Unit, FBI, state Criminal Investigation Unit of the
Department of Financial Services and the state Insurance Fund.
