Denver Developer Michael Marte Pleads Guilty To Setting Fire For Insurance Money
DENVER (CBS4) -- A Denver developer, Michael Marte, 54, pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to intentionally causing a fire at a construction project he was hired to oversee.
The fire, set at 2 a.m. on May 10, 2018, destroyed a pair of three-story, seven-unit townhome complexes.
Marte had been hired a year earlier by an Australian developer who purchased the lots at 1920 and 1930 Grove Street in West Denver.
According to a press release from the United States Attorney (District of Colorado), Marte was paid an annual salary of $200,000 to supervise the construction of the townhome units. Prosecutors claimed Marte quickly tried to cash in on a $4 million dollar insurance policy, which he had purchased himself, shortly after the blaze.
The project was in its final phase of construction when the fire completely destroyed both buildings.
Roughly half of the Denver Fire Department's resources spent eight hours extinguishing the fire. Investigators immediately suspected arson.
"Arson for profit or any other reason is a crime, and the defendant got caught red handed thanks to the great work of the ATF and Denver Fire Department," said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn. "Because of his conduct, he'll have 10 years in federal prison to think about his actions. Thankfully no residents or fire fighters were hurt as a result of his selfish actions."
Surveillance videos proved crucial in Marte's prosecution. A resident's doorbell camera showed a vehicle identical to Marte's driving into the area shortly before billowing clouds of smoke and eventually flames enveloped the units. Another video showed a man matching Marte's description walking away as the fire started.
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The Australian developer was en route to Denver at the time of the fire.
Marte, free on bond at this time, is scheduled for sentencing on March 25, 2020. As part of his plea, Marte agreed to a mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
