The millionaire owner of a luxury lakefront resort in Minnesota has been arrested and charged with arson, after allegedly joking about burning down the property days before it was destroyed in a blaze.
Bryce Campbell, 41, owner of the Lutsen Resort Lodge on Lake Superior, was taken into custody on December 3 in Southfield, Michigan, and charged with three felony counts of arson and one count of insurance fraud. Authorities say he made multiple comments suggesting to “burn it” in the days leading up to the fire on February 6, 2024.
A police complaint reveals Campbell complained of serious financial troubles, including owing hundreds of thousands of dollars to vendors and other parties. In messages to his husband, he said he was “depressed” and wrote “burn it” in response to discussions about debts. His husband replied, “At that point we just take the insurance payout…”
Investigators determined Campbell had increased the resort’s insurance coverage twice, from an initial amount to $11 million in 2022 and then to $13 million in 2023. Fraud agents concluded he knowingly caused the fire to fraudulently collect an insurance payout.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said: “In committing this selfish criminal act, Mr Campbell considered his own personal benefit over the lives and livelihoods of the people he employed, while at the same time destroying a treasured Minnesota landmark.”
The Lutsen Lodge, built in 1951, was purchased by Campbell in 2018 for $6.75 million. He remains in custody pending extradition to Minnesota.
