Restaurant owner held in 2007 fires

WAUSEON, Ohio - Wauseon resident and restaurant owner Charles L. Bryan was arrested Tuesday morning in connection with two 2007 fires that destroyed several downtown businesses, including his restaurant, Doc Holliday's.

The 39-year-old was arrested by police at a downtown construction site where his business, Wauseon Downtown Development, LLC, was constructing his new restaurant, Doc's Steak and Seafood.

The arrest came after a Fulton County grand jury indicted Bryan Monday on 14 counts in connection to the April 2007 fire that destroyed seven businesses and a store-front church, including Doc Holliday's. The massive fire nearly 2.5 years ago left a half-block hole in Wauseon's downtown district.

The State of Ohio Fire Marshal's Office determined the cause of the fires were arson.

Part of that 14-count indicted, he was charged with one count of of arson and one count of insurance fraud stemming from a Jan. 9, 2007, fire inside Doc Holliday's. The January fire caused about $25,000 in damages.

A coordinated investigation with the State Fire Marshal's Ohio Department of Commerce Division, the Wauseon police and fire departments, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office led to Bryan's indictment, state officials said Tuesday afternoon.

State Fire Marshal investigators confirmed that the January and April 2007 fires were intentionally set. Both fires originated inside Doc Holliday's. The state said the January 2007 fire was contained to the restaurant but the second fire spread, enveloped and destroyed four other businesses.

Bryan was co-owner of Doc Holliday's and had secured a $500,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Development in 2009 to rebuild his restaurant.

Earlier this summer Bryan had started construction on his new 5,800-square-foot restaurant called Doc's Steak and Seafood.

Several construction workers left within minutes after Bryan was arrested.

His arrest leaves the future of the Wauseon Downtown Development's project in question. An area contractor, who was preparing to bid work on the project, said he called his partner and put plans indefinitely on hold.

Wauseon Mayor Jerry Dehnbostel said Jennifer Bryan, Charles' wife, was "adamant" on completing the construction project.

"The city will work with her to help get this project done," Mayor Dehnbostel said.

Bryan was charged with nine counts of arson, three counts of aggravated arson and two counts of insurance fraud, according to the Fulton County Clerk of Courts Web site.

An arraignment is pending in Fulton County Common Pleas Court. He is being held at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio in Stryker.

(Steve Colon of the Fulton County Expositor, a FOX Toledo News media partner, contributed to this report)