De Queen, ARK–Two men were charged Thursday with arson in Sevier County, Ark., in connection with a fire last month at Gentry Chevrolet that leveled the business and caused millions in damage.
Trent Walker Gentry, 27, and Charlie Frank Moss, 39, allegedly torched the dealership shortly before 4:30 a.m. Sept. 3, court records show. Gentry is the son of Kenneth “Bud” Gentry, an owner of Gentry Chevrolet, and Moss was the dealership’s lead mechanic, according to a probable cause affidavit.
While Bud Gentry has not been charged in connection with the fire, Moss allegedly told investigators that it was Bud Gentry who first brought up setting the dealership on fire, the affidavit said.
Civil court records show that Simmons Bank filed a civil complaint in May in Sevier County seeking to foreclose on an approximately $3.3 million note for non-payment of a mortgage on Gentry Chevrolet. The dealership, Kenneth Gentry and Jimmy Gentry are among the defendants named in the lawsuit.
Vehicles owned by Trent Gentry and Moss were allegedly captured on video surveillance traveling near the dealership around the time of the arson. A fire investigator hired by an insurance company allegedly estimated the damage at around $5 million.
If convicted of arson, Trent Gentry and Moss face 10 to 40 years or life in prison.
Both men are currently being held in the Sevier County jail.
