DANBURY - In state Superior Court on March 2, prosecutors added an eighth charge of insurance fraud, which is a felony, to the seven criminal charges pending against the proprietor of a South Main Street package store, whom police allege falsely told them that an armed robbery had occurred there on the night of January 21.

Police further allege that Scott B. Young, 39, of Southington, the proprietor of Rooster Wines & Liquors at 113 South Main Street, falsely claimed that two male robbers started a fire within the store and sprayed anti-Semitic graffiti on the building's exterior after committing robbery.

Through their investigation, police determined that no robbery occurred and that Mr Young started that fire and sprayed the graffiti, according to a court affidavit.

On January 24, Mr Young filed a claim with his insurance company, Select Insurance, concerning the January 21 incident, after which the insurance firm assigned a fire investigator to review the case, according to court papers.

Mr Young and his attorney Jerry Attanasio of Waterbury were at the Danbury Courthouse on March 2 before the court session started. Mr Attanasio conferred with a prosecutor on the case. The attorney and his client were not present later in Courtroom 2 when Judge Kevin Russo called Mr Young's case.

State's Attorney Stephen J. Sedensky III told Judge Russo that Mr Young is pleading not guilty to all criminal charges against him. Mr Young's next scheduled court appearance is April 6. The defendant is free on $100,000 bail.

Contacted later on March 2, Mr Attanasio said that he is seeking various documents through the court's "discovery" process, so that he can study the pending criminal case and prepare a defense for his client. There is much evidence that needs to be reviewed, Mr Attanasio said.

On February 16, Newtown police charged Mr Young on a warrant with seven crimes in connection with the January 21 incident. Police arrested him on charges of first-degree arson, first-degree criminal mischief, making a false statement, interfering with police, and three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.

First-degree arson is a Class A felony, which carries a lengthy prison term in a conviction. There were no injuries in the fire to which all five local volunteer fire companies responded.

Police have said they filed three separate counts of first-degree reckless endangerment against Young because three people - a father, a mother, and a child - were inside their apartment, which is located on the second story of 113 South Main Street, when Young allegedly set the fire inside the ground-floor package store.

According to an arrest warrant application, police explain that they grew suspicious of what Mr Young had told them about the incident as they investigated it, finding certain inconsistencies in his story as he told and retold them what had occurred.

Police also found inconsistencies between certain physical evidence at the scene and the story that Young had provided about the incident.

Detective Jason Frank applied for the arrest warrant.