Fresno restaurateur Bobby Salazar pleaded not guilty to new charges in his federal arson case on Monday.
Appearing at the federal courthouse in downtown Fresno, Salazar entered a not guilty plea to four counts of mail fraud and the two arson charges that he was already facing.
The backstory: Federal prosecutors initially charged Salazar with arson in relation to one of his restaurants in central Fresno burning down last year.
- Salazar allegedly hired a motorcycle gang member to burn down the restaurant in order to receive an insurance payout.
- A federal grand jury then added four charges of mail fraud, since Salazar allegedly received a $980,000 insurance payout through the mail.
The big picture: Salazar appeared in court with his wife and attorney and did not provide any comments to reporters after entering his not guilty plea.
- Alleged co-conspirators Thomas Qualls and Shylo Badiali were also in court on Monday.
- Qualls is the president of the Screamin-Demons Motorcycle Club and allegedly took $10,000 from Salazar to burn down the restaurant.
What we’re watching: Salazar faces up to 20 years in prison for the mail fraud charges, while the arson charge could result in a prison term of five to 20 years.
Go deeper: The grand jury indictment accused Salazar of using the restaurant as collateral for a $500,000 loan in February 2024.
- Salazar allegedly used the loan to purchase a condo in the Bay Area and to pay taxes. He then allegedly used the insurance money to pay back the $500,000 loan.
