A Buffalo man was sentenced to five years in federal prison for the arson that destroyed The Old Pink bar in June 2024.
John Burns, 42, was convicted of arson of a building used in interstate commerce and sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara, according to an Oct. 27 announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Buffalo firefighters found the restaurant and bar at 223 Allen St. engulfed in flames in the early morning of June 17, 2024. The building was ultimately destroyed, and the Buffalo Fire Marshal’s Office determined that the fire had been deliberately set.
Investigators recovered a blue propane plumber’s torch behind the building. Surveillance video showed a person near the fire’s point of origin wearing a dark jacket with an emblem on the left arm and green-and-white sneakers, prosecutors said.
Investigators could not initially identify the person, who carried two white garbage bags behind the building and looked through garbage totes before walking away. A fire became visible a short time later, according to prosecutors.
Earlier that evening, Burns had fought with a man formerly contracted to provide security at the bar, investigators found. The former security worker told law enforcement he confronted Burns after a woman complained Burns had touched her inappropriately.
Burns refused to leave and threatened to return and burn the bar down, prosecutors said. Investigators showed video of the confrontation to the owner of the Essex St. Pub, at 530 Rhode Island St., who recognized Burns as a former employee.
Two associates also identified Burns in footage showing him walking away from The Old Pink shortly after the fire began, prosecutors said. One associate provided text messages Burns sent that morning after describing what appeared to be the earlier fight.
In the messages, Burns referred to “Guerrilla mode” and asked the associate to bail him out if he did not call by noon. He later wrote that he had made his bed, referred to possible footage and said he could not put everything that might be investigated into a text message.
The announcement also described a second fire outside the Essex St. Pub on Aug. 13, 2024. At 6:03 a.m., video showed Burns setting fire to a pile of books near the owner’s personal vehicle in the rear parking lot, prosecutors said. Firefighters quickly extinguished it.
The owner told investigators he had received a message the previous evening saying Burns had been denied entry because of disruptive behavior. The owner identified Burns on video carrying the books to the parking lot, lighting them and leaving, according to prosecutors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Antoine prosecuted the case. The investigation involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, and the Buffalo fire and police departments.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.
