Las Vegas Pet Shop Owner Who Torched Store With 27 Puppies Inside Sentenced
Las Vegas pet shop owner Gloria Eun Hye Lee burned her store with 27 dogs inside and was sentenced to up to 14 years in prison. During her trial, Lee revealed that she is pregnant, but the news did not deter the lengthy sentence in the case. Prosecutor Shanon Clowers said the pregnancy announcement was simply an attempt at garnering a “get out of jail free card.”
Gloria Eun Hye Lee, 36, received nearly the maximum sentence allowable by law in the Las Vegas pet store torching. Kirk Bills, Lee’s co-conspirator in the Prince and Princess pet store arson case, reportedly set the fire as part of an insurance fraud scam. Bills will be sentenced early next week.
Prince and Princess pet shop sprinklers were able to douse the flames and saved the lives of the 25 puppies and two adult dogs inside the Las Vegas store. Surveillance cameras inside the pet shop reportedly captured Gloria Eun Hye Lee’s actions. According to court documents, Lee removed files from her store office shortly before the fire.
Las Vegas prosecutors argued that Kirk Bills poured a flammable substance on the floor of the Prince and Princess pet shop and placed newspapers in front of the dog kennels. The plea bargain, which Gloria Lee agreed to in October, included admitting to the arson, attempted animal cruelty, and insurance fraud charges. The Clark County prosecutor dropped 28 additional charges as part of the deal.
Prior to the sentencing hearing, Gloria Lee posted the $40,000 bond initially ordered by the court and was placed on house arrest, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. After the Clark County prosecutor levied the additional charges, one count for each puppy housed at the pet shop, the judge raised her bail to $310,000 and Lee was sent back to jail when she could not raise the necessary funds.
The Prince and Princess pet shop owner reportedly had previously been convicted on various charges beginning in 1999, including larceny from a bank, forgery, and escape. Animal rights advocacy groups converged on the courthouse during Gloria Lee’s trial and court appearances for Kirk Bills.
Charity Home 4 Spot found new homes for the two adult dogs saved from the Prince and Princess fire. The 25 puppies rescued from the Las Vegas pet store were each adopted with a $250 fee after a drawing was held – the proceeds benefited the Lied Animal Shelter.
Do you think the prison sentence handed down in the Las Vegas pet shop arson case was fair?
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