NEW YORK, NY — Redrawn Saleh was sentenced to 63 months in prison for his participation in an arson in the Bronx, New York. Saleh was convicted following a four-day trial before the Honorable William H. Pauley III, who imposed today’s sentence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Today, New York City deli owner Redhwan Saleh learned that his attempt to burn down his competition – literally – comes at a steep price: more than five years in prison.”
According to allegations in the Superseding Indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, and the evidence presented at trial:
Saleh owned a deli near the intersection of 242nd Street and Broadway in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. After Saleh learned that a competing deli was about to open a few stores down from his, Saleh paid three men, including co-defendant Antoine Bostick, to set the new deli on fire. On September 11, 2016, a few weeks before the new deli opened, Bostick climbed onto the new deli’s roof, poured gasoline down the vent pipe, and lit the gas on fire. The new deli and a neighboring store both suffered extensive fire damage and the new deli’s opening was substantially delayed.
In addition to the prison term, Saleh, 38, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution.
Bostick, 32, of New Rochelle, New York, was convicted of conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced by Judge Pauley on March 15, 2019, to 50 months in prison and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution.
In addition to Saleh and Bostick, two other individuals have been convicted in connection with this case. Arthur Cherry pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and arson and was sentenced by Judge Pauley on March 15, 2019, to time served, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution. Richard Sanchez pled guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced by Judge Pauley on February 1, 2019, to 28 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution.
Mr. Berman praised the investigative efforts of the Strategic Explosive and Arson Response Task Force of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York Police Department, and the Fire Department of New York.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam S. Hobson and Thomas McKay are in charge of the prosecution.