Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 18, 1994                   TAG: 9406210116
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MAN CHARGED WITH ARSON OF FORECLOSED-ON HOUSE

Luther R. Brown Jr. is accused of burning a house he lost to foreclosure.

He was arrested Friday and released on $20,000 bond.

Botetourt County Sheriff Reed Kelly said the house, located on Hunters Trail in the Rainbow Forest subdivision, burned early on June 8.

The basement of the house was charred, and the remainder suffered smoke damage, bringing the estimated damage to more than $40,000, Kelly said.

Sheriff's investigators found pools of kerosene in the basement. Kelly said the investigation linked Brown to the fire, but would not give specifics on the evidence.

Brown, 61, reported more than a week before the fire that someone was attempting to burn the house using kerosene. Police found paper and kerosene in the basement of the house, but they discounted Brown's story after investigating.

"We had no evidence of an arson attempt by someone else," Kelly said.

On June 2, Bertie Wheeler, who had sold the house to Brown, foreclosed on it after he failed to make his payments, Kelly said.

In a telephone conversation Friday afternoon, Wheeler said she received a down payment on the house from Brown in September, held a second mortgage, and allowed Brown to take over the principal mortgage loan with a Richmond-based company.

Wheeler said Brown made one payment to her and one to the mortgage company, but never made another payment.

He then filed for bankruptcy, which would have staved off foreclosure, but a judge dismissed his case. That cleared the way for Wheeler to reclaim the property, which she did a week before the fire.

Brown gained some notoriety in the city in 1970s when he ran adult bookstores and massage parlors.

He also faced an arson allegation during the same decade, but after two mistrials, the charges were dismissed.

In that case, prosecutors accused Brown of hiring a 16-year-old drug addict to set fire to a Roanoke paint supply and hardware store.

Prosecutors contended Brown had a grudge against the owner of the company, and paid the youth $200 to torch the store.