The owner of a troubled Atlantic City motel was convicted in a deadly fire at another of his motels a dozen years ago, BreakingAC has learned.
Randhir Maisuria owns the Bayview Inn & Suites, which is set for demolition if he doesn’t fix a multitude of problems by Monday. The Albany Avenue motel just off Exit 2 of the Atlantic City Expressway was the target of a raid last Monday and a fire a few days later.
The fire is being investigated as suspicious, Fire Chief Scott Evans said.
Maisuria served five years’ probation for a fire at a motel he owned in 2005, records show. He was not believed to have started that fire, but his actions and those of his then-partner allegedly led to the deadly outcome.
Maisuria and Prakesh Patel were indicted on aggravated manslaughter and having knowing violations of public safety laws after the Oct. 2, 2005, fire killed three occupants at the Irvington Motor Lodge in Essex County, according to records. Another 14 people were injured.
Residents at the time told the New York Times the deaths didn’t have to happen, but that the motel had chains on the doors.
Maisuria denied the allegation to the Times, saying there had been no chains since they had received a $2,000 fine that April for the same violations.
A grand jury indicted him and Patel on 10 counts in January 2007, Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, told BreakingAC.
He pleaded guilty to recklessly causing widespread injury or damage, and was given probation Jan. 5, 2009, Carter said.
Maisuria and Patel owned the Chevlin Building Corporation at the time. It is at least the fourth company Maisuria owned .
He and Patel also lost a federal lawsuit from Best Western for presenting one of their motels as part of the chain. It was not clear whether they ever paid the more than $110,000 award in that case.
