By Associated Press – 23 Jan ’15
A New Jersey man has pleaded not guilty to six federal charges related to an arson fire that destroyed a landmark hotel in Cheyenne.
The Hitching Post was a popular place for Wyoming legislators to stay before the 2010 fire.
Fifty-one-year-old Falgun Dharia, of Flanders, New Jersey, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges including conspiracy to commit arson and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
He faces between 20 and 110 years in prison if convicted. Dharia posted $500,000 bond and trial is set for June 15 in Cheyenne.
Dharia’s attorney, M. David Lindsey, of Englewood, Colorado, declined to comment Friday beyond saying he looked forward to Dharia’s exoneration.
Another man, Ajay Jariwala, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is serving a six-year prison sentence for commissioning the arson.penalty.
