Charges Refiled in Wis. Arson Case

The Outagamie County (Wisconsin) district attorney’s office has refiled an insurance fraud charge related to an arson case following a judge’s dismissal of the charge, according to The Post-Crescent.

So Man Chu, 49, will face a new round of hearings with the reinstatement of the charge.

Outagamie County Circuit Judge James Bayorgeon dismissed the charge against Chu at the end of a preliminary hearing in late May.

A preliminary hearing is necessary to decide if there is probable cause to back a felony charge. Bayorgeon reportedly determined there wasn’t.

The new charge, filed last week, charges Chu with allegedly filing a fraudulent insurance claim resulting from the Jan. 4, 1998, fire that destroyed the family cleaning business.

In February 2001, Chu’s son, Dale, 22, was sentenced to seven years in prison related to charges of insurance fraud and arson.