Plea Entered in Enfield Commercial Arson Case

ENFIELD, CT — A man implicated in an Enfield commercial arson case has entered a plea, a leading prosecutor said.

John H. Durham, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced Wednesday that Mustasfa Zabana, 32, a citizen of Iraq last residing in Westfield, MA, entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to a fraud offense related to an arson at his Enfield restaurant.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Zabana was the majority owner of Zabana, Inc., doing business as Bruno’s Pizza, a restaurant located at 634 Enfield St.

Zabana is accused of intentionally setting a fire at Bruno's on June 3, 2016. The fire damaged the restaurant and its contents, as well as other commercial spaces in the plaza where the restaurant was located, according to case documents.

After the fire, Zabana filed an insurance claim with Liberty Mutual, Durham said.

Liberty Mutual then sent Zabana an advance check for $5,000 and Zabana continued to pursue additional payments from Liberty Mutual through at least December 2016, Durham said.

Zabana pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

Judge Arterton scheduled sentencing for June 29. Zabana has been detained since his arrest on March 23, 2017.

The Enfield Police Department and the Thompsonville Fire Department assisted with the investigation.

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