Middletown Restaurant Owner Enters Plea in Arson Case

John A. Barile, a co-owner of Enzo’s Restaurant in Middletown, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal to arson, insurance fraud, gambling and extortion charges in connection with a scheme to burn down the restaurant for insurance money.

According to United States Attorney Deirdre M. Daly, Enzo’s “was facing financial difficulty” by 2009 when Barile is alleged to have begun planning the fire.

“Beginning in approximately November 2009, Barile and others engaged in conversations about planning to cause a fire at Enzo’s in order to collect the insurance proceeds,” according to a statement from Daly. “Barile informed his co-owner of the plan and sought information from at least one individual on how to start the fire to make it look like an accident.”

In addition to the fire, Daly said Barile also was accused of operating an ”illegal sports-related bookmaking” business and tazed one bettor who owed him more than $50,000.

From Daly’s announcement of the guilty plea:

On the evening of January 9, 2010, BARILE participated in conversations with others at Enzo’s about causing the fire the next morning and mentioned that he had placed greasy rags around the fryolators and had applied grease to the walls. Later in the evening, after the restaurant had closed, BARILE was aware that a fire was burning in the kitchen. He intentionally did not extinguish the fire, transferred it to one or more of the greasy rags, allowed the fire to burn further, and then left the restaurant. BARILE did not alert the fire department or anyone else about the fire he had left burning in the restaurant.

The co-owner was inside Enzo’s at the time of the fire, and two individuals were inside a restaurant next door. The Middletown Fire Department arrived a short time later, forced entry, rescued the co-owner and put out the fire.

After the fire, BARILE sought payment from an insurance company for losses suffered as a result of the fire, and concealed his role in the fire from the insurance company and law enforcement. The insurance company ultimately paid $189,787.69 to BARILE to settle the insurance claims related to the fire.

From at least 2010 through approximately January 2014, BARILE also conducted an illegal sports-related bookmaking operation. In the course of the gambling business, BARILE paid out or received cash from sub-bookmakers and certain bettors. During this time period, BARILE did not have any employment or source of income other than the illegal sports-related bookmaking business. At times, the gambling business grossed more than $2,000 per day.

One bettor who repeatedly placed bets with BARILE’s gambling business eventually owed him approximately $50,000 from unpaid gambling losses. On November 8, 2011, BARILE, along with two associates, met the bettor at a parking lot in Hartford. At the meeting, BARILE tased the bettor with a Taser or similar device in order to punish him for not paying his debts and enforce collection of the payment.

Barile pleaded guilty to:

• One count of arson
• One count of mail fraud
• One count of conducting an illegal gambling business
• One count of collecting an extension of credit by extortionate means

He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on May 6, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 65 years.

Barile was arrested on January 5 last year and is released on a $350,000 bond under electronic monitoring. He is currently residing with a family member in Enfield.

On November 16, 2012, federal authorities seized $165,287.69 in from Barile’s bank account.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Middletown Police Department and the Connecticut State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anastasia E. King and Neeraj N. Patel.

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