A Queens print shop that was already in the middle of an eviction fight is now at the center of a federal arson case, after prosecutors said a father and son torched their own business on 101st Avenue.
According to Gothamist, federal authorities allege Narinder Singh and his son Jawahar Singh set the fire on Feb. 18, using a hot plate and paper towels to spark the blaze. The outlet reports that, one day earlier on Feb. 17, the shop had filed an emergency application to halt its eviction, which a judge denied. Prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York have now charged the pair with malicious use of fire to destroy property.
Legal stakes
The men are charged under federal arson statutes that classify maliciously using fire to damage property as a felony. As detailed by Cornell Law School, 18 U.S.C. § 844 carries a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison when no one is injured, with tougher penalties if someone is hurt or killed.
What the complaint says and defense
Per Gothamist, the criminal complaint describes in detail how investigators believe the fire was started and captions the case as USA v. Narinder Singh and Jawahar Singh. Attorneys for the two men told the outlet they dispute prosecutors' characterization of what happened and say their clients contest the allegations.
Next steps
The case now moves onto the federal docket, with officials yet to publicly provide an arraignment date. It also remains unclear whether state charges will be filed. This story will be updated as new court records or additional filings surface.
