Plea amended to guilty of second-degree arson in July 4 Army Surplus fire

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

The Sandpoint woman charged with setting a fire on July 4, 2024 that leveled the Army Surplus 1 store on Fifth Avenue and Oak Street has amended her plea in Bonner County court to guilty of arson in the second degree.

Jennifer S. Meyer appeared before Judge Susie Jensen on April 8 for a hearing to alter her plea, which was entered Feb. 20 as “not guilty.” The new plea carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years, fines up to $75,000 or both. By pleading guilty to a felony, Jensen said Meyer may also face “enhanced penalties,” including restitution.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall said that Army Surplus owner Cornel Rasor — who also serves in the Idaho House representing Dist. 1B — is still assessing the value of items lost in the fire that aren’t covered by insurance, but the final amount the prosecution will request Meyer pay is “going to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Rasor did not respond to a request for comment from the Reader.

By pleading guilty to second-degree arson, Meyer’s jury trial previously scheduled for May has been vacated. Instead, she will face sentencing on Monday, June 16 at 11 a.m. in Bonner County court.

The booking photo of Jennifer S. Meyer. Photo courtesy BCSO.

Meanwhile, Jensen ordered a mental health evaluation for Meyer, who had been deemed incapable of participating in her own defense at a hearing in August. 

Finding that her competency was “significantly impaired,” Meyer was initially transferred to the Idaho State Hospital North for further evaluation. That order was extended to November, but lifted in January when she was found to be fit to proceed in the case, which at that time carried a charge of first-degree arson with a maximum 25 years in jail, fines up to $100,000 or both.

No motive for the fire has been made public.

Meyer was uncommunicative in previous appearances before the court, refusing to answer questions or interact with the judge. In her April 8 hearing, however, she did respond to questions and answered “yes” when Jensen asked whether she had in fact damaged the Army Surplus store.

Asked by Jensen whether she believed her mental health diagnosis and medication would affect her ability to make decisions, Meyer responded “no” and “I don’t think so.” She also stated that she understood her guilty plea in a felony case could include additional penalties.

Public defense attorney Catherine Enright told the judge that her client was competent.

Asked to swear to God that she would tell the truth or face the penalty of perjury, Meyer responded, “I’m not religious — I can’t agree to that.” Jensen then asked if Meyer could affirm that she would tell the truth, to which she agreed.

Meyer was arrested July 16, 2024 following an investigation including review of video surveillance footage that showed her at the time and place of the fire, which occurred roughly as the annual Sandpoint Fourth of July fireworks display was ending at City Beach. As the blaze grew, a large crowd gathered in the vicinity while first responders fought the flames. 

Inside the building, an estimated $500,000 of merchandise was destroyed — including a large amount of ammunition, which exploded in repeated bursts as firefighters doused the structure with water. In addition, many personal belongings of the Rasor family stored in the building were lost.

No injuries occurred and fire crews were able to contain the fire, with no damage to surrounding structures.

Police took Meyer into custody after the review of the surveillance footage and following an interview in which she “was caught lying about her statements regarding her routes and clothing attire during the time in question,” according to the affidavit of probable cause, obtained by the Reader in a public records request.

A search of Meyer’s residence — located near the former-Army Surplus building — turned up a bag containing $1,000, a handgun and ammunition, $1,200 in silver, vehicle titles, passport, birth certificate and college transcript, among other personal documents.

Based on those items, the court determined there were “great concerns with regard to flight,” resulting in a $1 million bond.

Meyer remains in custody ahead of her June sentencing.