Court Watching: Circuit Court Jury finds Joshua Burger guilty of arson at his pawn shop

A Wayne County Circuit Court jury found Joshua Mark Burger, 30, of Sumpter Township guilty of setting fire to his pawn shop in Southgate on April 12.
The trial was held before Judge Paul John Cusick at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice Jan. 26 through Jan. 31.
Judge Cusick is scheduled to sentence Burger on March 7. The felony charge of arson of insured real property could bring a sentence of 20 years and/or $20,000 or three times the property damage, whichever is greater.
A second, lesser charge of third-degree arson was dismissed.
Southgate fire fighters were called to the scene of a fire at Pawn Max, 16096 Eureka, at about 7:30 p.m., April 12.
During Burger’s June 26 preliminary exam before 28th District Court Judge James A. Kandrevas police and fire witnesses testified to finding two sources of ignition of the fire in places that were not near electrical service or anything else that would cause a fire to start. A Michigan State Police lab found accelerants in a rag and on metal/plastic debris that was a container.
Also in evidence was a DVR recording of Burger repositioning the shop’s surveillance cameras to aim more toward the ceiling away from where the fires started a few minutes later.
Burger reportedly owned Southgate Exchange, Inc., the business, but not the building. He filed an insurance claim on loss of the contents.
Defense attorney was David Griem, a high-profile lawyer who represented Bob Bashara in a murder-for-hire charge that attracted a lot of media attention. Assistant Prosecutor was Chandra Baker.
Burger is free after posting bond of $100,000/10%.